SAN ANTONIO – A monkey named Dawkins is now safe at a sanctuary after he escaped from his kennel at the San Antonio International Airport.

The monkey was on an American Airlines flight from Chicago to San Antonio.  He was being sent from Brown University to his new home at the Born Free USA primate sanctuary in Cotulla.

When the flight landed Monday afternoon, Dawkins escaped from his kennel in the baggage handling area. The secure area is away from passengers so Dawkins never posted a threat to the public.

San Antonio International is one of only four airports in the country to have a wildlife biologist on staff. 

Airport officials did call for backup from the San Antonio Zoo and others who have a better understanding of how to calm a monkey down. 

"Now I will tell you the monkey was having a little bit of fun. If you envision what a baggage handling system looks like, it has a lot of belts and bars and looks a little bit like a jungle. He was having a pretty good time up there. So we knew where he was. So we waited for the experts to arrive and it was like watching special operations push into combat territory," said Russ Handy, aviation director for San Antonio International Airport.

Earlier that day, officials at the Born Free USA sanctuary in Cotulla had posted a video talking about their newest addition to the Primate Sanctuary before he made a little detour. A short time later, they confirmed the monkey having some fun at the airport was indeed the one they were waiting for.

Dawkins was contained within an hour. He was eventually tranquilized and put back in a cage to continue his journey to the sanctuary. On Facebook, the sanctuary said Dawkins has arrived safely. He is currently resting after an exhausting escape.  

On Tuesday the Born Free USA CEO released the following statement: 

"By now, most of you have heard that yesterday, there was a 'baboon loose at the San Antonio Airport' – no part of that statement is true, by the way. But let’s shift to the real story here – this incident illustrates the problems with keeping wild animals, like monkeys, in captivity. As wild animals, their natural behaviors and instincts are best suited for life in the wild; when put into unnatural situations, wild animals can get stressed, be unpredictable and, if threatened, they will react. At Born Free USA's Primate Sanctuary, Dawkins (who is doing well despite yesterday’s stressful transport) will have the opportunity to live in a large, natural enclosure, socialize, play, forage, and enjoy a life as close as possible to the wild, with minimal human interference. It is an honor to welcome Dawkins to this new, more natural life, but we hope that one day, sanctuaries like ours will not be necessary because wild animals like Dawkins will no longer be taken from the wild or bred for a life in captivity."