Watch: Chimpanzee breaks out of zoo enclosure, returns on its own

A chimpanzee escaped from its enclosure at an Australian zoo, but made its way back to the exhibit without any intervention.

Officials at Taronga Zoo Sydney said a contractor who works at the facility spotted the male chimpanzee calmly sitting just beyond the perimeter of its enclosure on Thursday at 5.47am.

The zoo emergency response unit was activated immediately, however, no intervention was required as the chimp made its own way back into the exhibit only minutes after it was seen by the contractor.

“The chimp is safe and well and is being monitored by our specialist keepers and vets,” the officials said.

WATCH: This chimpanzee learnt to wash clothes

“Taronga has strict safety protocols in place for such an incident. All people on site were immediately directed to enter secure areas until the situation was resolved.”

Officials said the zoo remains open, however, the chimpanzee troop will remain off public display until an investigation into how the animal managed to escape is completed.