Animals have stopped eating and have been sitting frozen on the ground
Baffled zoologists have failed to find an explanation for bizarre behaviour
By KERRY MCDERMOTT
The bizarre behaviour of a troop of 'hysterical' baboons at a Dutch zoo has been blamed on everything from an earthquake to a UFO.
Ordinarily seen scampering around on their island at the Emmen Dierenpark in the northern Netherlands, the gang of 112 monkeys have been sitting frozen on the ground and turning their backs on visitors this week.
The baboons have even lost their appetites, say baffled zoologists at the park, who have heard various theories as to what may be behind the animals' strange behaviour.
'They became panicked at the end of the day on Monday, they were hysterical, not jumping around but behaving strangely,' zoologist Wijbren Landman told AFP.
'On Tuesday and Wednesday they just sat in the trees or on the ground, hardly moving or eating.'
Mr Landman described various theories put forward to explain the bizarre scenes at the zoo, with some suggesting the baboons may have spotted a predator - either a real one or an image of one on a visitor's t-shirt - or felt the rumblings of an earthquake.
The zoologist admitted he was yet to hear an explanation that 'holds water'.
'The craziest suggestion was that it was caused by a UFO,' Mr Landman said.
Baboons at the zoo, who were all born in captivity, have behaved this way four times in the past 20 years, the team at Emmen Dierenpark said.
source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2384032/Baboons-Dutch-zoo-sitting-backs-turned-visitors.html
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