A 300-pound chimpanzee escaped from its owner Tuesday afternoon and ran rampant through a Kansas City neighborhood, scaring walkers, pounding on passing cars and breaking a police car's windshield.
The 21-year-old ape, named Sueko, also pointed and laughed at residents and flipped off an animal control officer near 78th Street and Indiana Avenue, witnesses said.
About 40 minutes and one tranquilizer dart later, Sueko meandered into a cage in her owner's van. The owner drove her — with a police escort — to Monkey Island, a primate sanctuary in Greenwood where she will stay while the city's legal department weighs its option.
City officials would like to avoid returning the chimp to her owner, Mark Archigo, who has been in and out of legal trouble over Sueko since 1995.
On Tuesday city officials cited him for having a dangerous animal in city limits. It was at least the third time that Archigo has been cited for problems with Sueko getting loose or biting people. City officials, who briefly sent her to the zoo 15 years ago, even threatened then to euthanize her if Archigo brought her back into the city.
Archigo could not be reached for comment.
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