Chimpanzee Escapes From Japanese Zoo, Eludes Capture By Climbing Electrical Pole

A chimpanzee named Chacha danced around authorities on Thursday during a two-hour escape from a zoo in Japan.

The male chimp broke out of the Yagiyama Zoological Park in Sendai, the Associated Press reports.

Chacha eluded capture by climbing an electrical pole and swinging from the wires, leading to a dramatic and frightening scene.

To say the photos are intense would be an understatement:

Authorities resorted to shooting Chacha with a sedative tranquilizer while he was still perched on the electrical pole. The chimp eventually plummeted toward the ground, where his fall was broken by several people holding a large blanket. 

Raw footage of the incident that shows the chimp on the run.

Warning: This footage may be unsuitable for some audiences.

Toshikatsu Ouchi, director of the zoo, apologized to local residents in a press conference, according to ABC News.

The chimp was unhurt by the whole ordeal, according to the Agence France-Presse.