TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A patas monkey named “Nan Dao” is on the loose, the Taipei Zoo announced Tuesday (March 16), cautioning the public to keep a safe distance and report any sightings.

Nan Dao seized the opportunity when a guard opened the gate to his enclosure Monday (March 15), CNA reported. The eight-year-old primate pushed his way through the opening, passed by the koala enclosure, and then disappeared into the forested area behind the zoo.

Zoo officials expressed hope that the monkey would return “home” of his own accord, but they also set traps along the route he was expected to take.

Nan Dao is 85 centimeters long and usually eats biscuits from his minder's hand, but it is not known how he would react if strangers approach him, so members of the public should keep away from him, the zoo said. The patas monkey has an orange back, mostly white legs, and a grey-and-white face.

The animals are indigenous to semi-arid parts of sub-Saharan West and East Africa, where they live on the ground rather than in trees. They are known as the fastest runners among the primates, reaching speeds of up to 55 kilometers an hour.