LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Zoo was evacuated Monday afternoon after a chimpanzee reportedly escaped from an enclosure.

The escape of the15-year-old chimp forced the evacuation of about 9,000 zoovisitors. But Gracie is now back in her habitat.

The zoo's director says the chimp somehow managed to jump out ofher enclosure, but she didn't go far.

"He was swinging on some rope and then he swung up and out... All the other ones were trying to follow him," one zoo-goer told NBC4-TV in Los Angeles.

"We saw the chimpanzee sitting on top and they started shooing everybody... and telling everyone to move out. It was scary," another visitor said.

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Video: Chimp On The Loose

Zoo officials at the facility in Griffith Park were able to successfully capture "Gracie" and get her back in her enclosure late Monday afternoon. About 45 minutes after her escape, zoo staff managed to tranquilize her.

Earlier, zoo officials used a hose to try and direct the chimpanzee back into the enclosure, but the animal apparently jumped into the gorilla enclosure.

Zoo director John Lewis said the 15-year-old chimp is their resident escape artist. "Gracie" has reportedly escaped three previous times since 1998.

"Each time we've made corrections based on her abilities, and she's found another way," Lewis said.

The chimpanzee was out of her exhibit for approximately 45 minutes, but Lewis said zoo officials kept her contained in the area until she received a tranquilizer and was then moved back into her enclosure. Zoo officials expect to move Gracie into a more secure enclosure.

Visitors were essentially on lockdown at the zoo as officials checked small groups at the exit to ensure that the animal did not get mixed into the crowd. No injuries were reported.

Zoo visitors were not at risk during Gracie's escape, Lewis said. The zoo was more crowded than usual due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.