Chimpanzee sparks alert after electrifying escape from zoo

A chimpanzee embarked on a daring escape from a zoo in northern Japan, climbing a tall electricity pole before being hit with a sedative arrow and plunging from the wires into a blanket held by a dozen workers. Chacha, a male chimp, survived the fall with minor bruises and cuts, a zoo official said yesterday. Japanese viewers were glued to their screens on Thursday afternoon as Chacha evaded capture, swung from power lines and scampered around in a state of agitation.  The chimpanzee was on the loose for nearly two hours after it disappeared from the Yagiyama zoological park in Sendai, the city that is hosting finance ministers from the Group of Seven industrialised nations in May.Electricity was lost in 1,848 homes for a brief period during the incident, according to Tohoku Electric Power Co.