Tweets about escaped animals in Ohio run rampant

— -- You know the wild menagerie escape in Zanesville is news when even "animals" are tweeting about it.

"We are FREE!! But they are after us! They even killed our dear friend the lion!" is the description of the Twitter handle @EscapedAnimals, the alias of an escaped monkey. Its tweet: "If you have a car pick me up you won't be unhappy #monkey."

Long Island-based social media company Digital Motion made up the Twitter handle under the persona of a monkey that likes to smoke, along with @ZanesvilleLion and @ZanesvilleBear.

"It's just a fun way to interact. People have communicated with the monkey, being like, 'Meet me on the street corner! I'll give you cigarettes!,'" says Josh Blanthorn, 35, who started the Twitter accounts with co-worker Derek Wells.

Zanesville natives and onlookers also took to Twitter.

"It's like Noah's Ark wrecking here in Zanesville," was a popular retweet, deriving from celebrity zookeeper Jack Hanna's remarks at a morning press conference.

From tagging @JungleJackHanna, to the more than 500 Facebook "likes" on his post about the events, animal lovers and news junkies have reached out.

Selene Gates, 23, owner of pet salon Pups and Pals in Zanesville, complained on Twitter, "Everyone canceled their grooming appointments because of #escaped animals my salon is across the street on Rt. 40. Poor animals :/"

Author Riley Darkes, 30 of Newark, Ohio, tweeted, "Yes, I live near #zanesville no, I did not wake up with any animals in my bed #escapedanimals." He looked at the humor of the situation. "What can z-ville possibly say, as the world points and laughs?"

Some other #escapedanimals gems:

•@RileyDarkes: #escapedanimals I think he lost the dice :( #jumanji

•@brownsqueen10 (Amber Lovejoy, 31, Zanesville): in #zanesville sure is causin a lot of commotion in this small town! we made it 2 the Today show!

•@OSURules (Brian Wilson, 40, Reynoldsburg, Ohio): You know it's #Zanesville when the sherriff's sign on the podium is attached with duct tape. #escapedanimals