Dublin Zoo has confirmed that three monkeys escaped from their enclosure After Storm Ophelia.
The Zoo says the Sulawesi crested macaques left their enclosure to a public area of the Zoo temporarily.
The Zoo was closed at the time as a red weather warning was in place for the entire country.
They escaped after their enclosure was damaged from the strong winds, and were returned a short time later.
In a statement, Dublin Zoo has said:
"On October 17th whilst the Zoo was closed to the public, in the immediate aftermath of Storm Ophelia, three Sulawesi crested macaques temporarily left their habitat to a public area within the Zoo. This happened after the storm inflicted damage on the macaque habitat. The Dublin Zoo response team was immediately notified and the macaques were returned to their habitat a short time later.
"The incident was dealt with swiftly and effectively and no animal was harmed.
"The findings from the incident debrief stated that the response from the animal care team and security was robust and effective. The debrief also noted that Dublin Zoo displayed an excellent response time and communication between the animal care and security team.
"Since the incident, alterations have been made to the Sulawesi crested macaque island habitat. The climbing structure within the animal holding area has also been lowered and the electrical fencing around the habitat has been increased.
"At Dublin Zoo, visitor safety is paramount. All habitats either meet or exceed safety requirements and risk assessments are continuously undertaken."
