THE DAILY WIRE · TAIWAN · 2026-09-19
Taipei Zoo Chimps Discover the Concept of an Open Door
Two chimpanzees briefly left their assigned enclosure at Taipei Zoo this week after officials confirmed the escape was made possible by doors that were, in the plainest bureaucratic language available, unsecured.
Zoo officials stated that the chimpanzees exploited the unlocked doors to leave their habitat, an explanation that raises the obvious follow-up question of who exactly was responsible for securing them and how their afternoon is going now. The zoo has acknowledged the lapse; further details on the chimps' movements before recapture were not specified.
Webster has covered a fair number of zoo-escape items lately and can report with some authority that the animals are rarely the weak link in these stories. Doors, gates, and latches, on the other hand, appear to be having a rough year worldwide.
For eyewitness testimony, this reporter consulted Ah-Ming, a Formosan macaque with a long-standing interest in enclosure security across the island's zoological facilities.
His analysis leaned less toward outrage and more toward professional respect.
Both chimpanzees were returned to their enclosure without incident, and Taipei Zoo has presumably added 'check if door is locked' to someone's job description. Spun and done.
“Unsecured doors, they say — brother, I've been telling the mountain gang for years that half these enclosures run on the honor system. Chimps are smart enough to know a knob when they see one, that's just basic tool use, nothing supernatural about it. If anybody deserved a stroll outside, it's an animal smart enough to notice the door was open in the first place.” — Ah-Ming, Formosan macaque
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