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[Carrie McLaren <carrie AT stayfreemagazine.org>]

Tranquilised chimpanzee drowns after escaping from zoo
By Derek Cher, Channel NewsAsia
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/79307/1/.html

SINGAPORE : Singapore Zoological Gardens has lost one of its most 
loved residents - six-year-old chimpanzee Rhamba drowned in Mandai 
reservoir after escaping from its enclosure.

She was one of 13 chimpanzees kept in the enclosure.Advertisement

Rhamba is said to have been very agitated on Monday morning and 
managed to leap four metres from a tree across an electric fence.

Dr Ken Gold, General Curator at the Singapore Zoological Gardens, 
said: "She went up a tree and they tranquilised her. She jumped down 
and ran through a couple of exhibits and we lost sight of her. Then 
we saw her over by the water. But by the time we are able to get to 
her, she already walked into the water and drowned."

Rhamba was trained to pose for photos with visitors.

Zoo keepers knew her to be a lively and playful chimp, but what 
happened has puzzled them.

As a precaution, the zoo cut down the tree that Rhamba used to jump 
out from her enclosure. They also trimmed some shrubbery at the 
barrier. - CNA