Runaway Baboon Found in New Jersey

July 3, 2011 — -- A runaway baboon on the loose in the Garden State since last week has been captured.

The baboon was found on a farm near Fairfield and Merrick Roads in Howell, N.J. around 2:40 p.m. on Saturday.

He appeared unharmed, according to New York ABC News affiliate WABC.

Officials at Six Flags Great Adventure believe the baboon belongs to the amusement park's Monkey Jungle.

The baboon was tranquilized and brought to the park for a physical exam and health assessment.

All of the park's baboons are vaccinated and microchipped, but are not counted every night because they sleep outside in a large enclosure, Great Adventure spokeswoman Kristin Siebeneicher told the Asbury Park Press.

The Monkey Jungle is home to 150 baboons and it would to detemine if one is missing, she said.

Although the animal in question did not have a microchip, Great Adventure officials said it felt confident it is the baboon escaped from the park.

The first baboon sighting came Thursday, when a driver said the animal was near Interstate 195, and later that day a woman said a baboon was sitting on her back porch in Jackson.

As of Friday, there were at least four sightings, according to Jackson, N.J., police, but officers were still working to track down the primate.

"We do dispatch officers to each of the resident calls, but none of the officers have observed the animal," said Capt. David Newman of the Jackson Police Department. "He's been on the move."

The baboon was first seen along Interstate 195 at 2:10 p.m. on Thursday, Newman said.

The second sighting came from a woman who said a baboon was sitting on her back porch on Jackson.

The animal was seen again at 10:50 a.m. on a residential road called Buttonwood Drive in the town.

"I saw the red hiney and I knew it was a baboon - instant panic!" eyewitness Stacey Murphy told New York ABC News affiliate WABC.

Murphy was in the kitchen making food for July 4 when she spotted the baboon.

"It just walked here like it was nothing. It was on all fours. If it was standing up, how tall would it have been? My height?" she told WABC.

Murphy then screamed at the top of her lungs -- so loud it woke her 12-year-old son up, WABC reported.

ABC News' Maggy Patrick, Ben Forer and ABC News affiliate WABC contributed to this report.