The baboons at Knowsley safari park had always been infamous for vandalizing the cars that happens to be inside their enclosure.
Now, Merseyside attraction workers are concerned after spotting the baboons wielding knives, screwdrivers and even a chainsaw.
They suspect that some “pranksters” have been providing the primates with weapons to help increase the damage caused to vehicles “for a laugh.”
“We’re not sure if they are being given weapons by some of the guests who want to see them attack cars, of if they’re fishing them out of pick-up trucks and vans,” a park worker said.
“They will literally go into people’s toolboxes and carry them around. One of the baboons was seen lugging around a chainsaw.”
A mechanic in Sale, Greater Manchester knows too well that the monkeys cause mischief every now and then, and “had two customers this year who became victims of those baboons.”
“The kids start chirping up saying they want monkeys all over the car, and the next thing you know, you’re driving home with no registration plate,” he added.
In 2012, car manufacturer Hyundai let loose 40 monkeys from the park for 10 hours on its New Generation i30 model to prove it had the strength for families with small children.
Despite reports as to whether the baboons get their hands on the said weapons or not, the park believe that tales were nothing more than an urban myth.
A spokesperson said that they “believe many of these stories have grown in exaggeration as they’ve been retold, with embellishment to make the objects that are sometimes found in the enclosure seem more exciting and unbelievable.”
The 550-acre safari park in Liverpool reopened its doors on June 15 after the government allowed zoos and aquariums to welcome visitors again following the lockdown due to the COVID-19.