A INVESTIGATION will be launched after a chimpanzee was shot dead following a failed bid for freedom from her enclosure at a North Yorkshire zoo.

The ape clambered over a wall and disappeared into the morning mist just after 10am yesterday at the Flamingo Land theme park near Malton.

Police issued an urgent warning to residents to stay well clear of the "potentially dangerous" animal, but two hours later zoo staff found the chimp still on site, and killed her.

A Ryedale council boss said an inquiry would take place, as animal rights activists demanded answers.

The chimp is understood to have scaled the perimeter wall around the zoo's Chimp Island, and climbed into the Lost River Ride.

There, a zoo marksman shot her with two tranquilliser darts, but the chimp became "extremely aggressive", and had to be shot dead.

A Flamingo Land spokesman said: "The animal became extremely aggressive after having been tranquillised, resulting in a potentially dangerous situation for the personnel in attendance.

"As a consequence, the animal had to be destroyed at the scene."

The zoo did not open to the public all yesterday. It was due to have been open from 10am.

PC Ian Fraser, of Malton Police, said officers were notified at 11.25am.

A specialist police firearms unit was put on standby as the incident unfolded, but did not attend the scene.

A student on a work placement at the theme park said: "For a while I was very scared - I thought: 'Oh my God, there's a chimp on the loose'. We were told to stay in the canteen until it was all over, but it was a tragic end."

Paul Crossley, Ryedale District Council's principal environmental health officer, called it a "tragedy", and said a formal inquiry would be launched.

He said: "We don't yet know why this happened. The incident will be investigated, and we will make sure proper procedures were followed, and how we can ensure something like this doesn't happen again.

"Flamingo Land has a very good history of animal welfare, and in the 15 years I have been here I can't remember any other animal escaping."

Craig Redmond, of the Captive Animals' Protection Society, said: "It's very unusual for animals to be killed after they have escaped, and we need to know exactly what happened and why it happened."

The dead chimp was one of three female companions for the zoo's 45-year-old male chimp, Nelson.

It is not yet known which it was.

Updated: 09:17 Saturday, December 10, 2005