Have you heard the intriguing story of a monkey and Yorkshire puddings? In 2024, a macaque monkey made headlines by escaping from a wildlife park in the Scottish Highlands.
This adventurous monkey feasted on peanuts and stale Yorkshire puddings meant for birds, evading capture for five days until it was spotted in a local garden.
According to a recent analysis by the Washington Post, primates like Honshu are among the most likely animals to escape from captivity. Their study reviewed 130 years of news reports, revealing 134 escape incidents, with 17 involving monkeys and apes. Interestingly, in 2024 alone, 43 rhesus macaques escaped from a research facility in South Carolina, US.
These primates exhibit extraordinary intelligence and dexterity, facilitating their escapes not just from cages but from entire zoo and park grounds, similar to the wild on mainland Japan.
Other frequent escapees include felines (16 cases), bovids (15 cases, including cows and buffalo), and birds (14 cases). Birds, particularly, pose a challenge for recapturing. A 2015 analysis of Australian zoo records spanning from 1870 to 2010 revealed that nearly half of all vertebrate escapes involved birds, which also had the lowest recovery rates.
In the UK, government regulations mandate that zoos conduct escape drills four times a year – Image courtesy of Robin Boyden
The famous flamingo known as Pink Floyd serves as a remarkable avian escape artist. This flamingo flew the coop from the Sedgwick County Zoo in Kansas in 2005, adeptly adjusting to life in the wild. It was last observed in 2023 off the Texas coast, over 800 miles from its original home.
Zoo escapes often ignite the public’s imagination. The narrative of a daring animal seeking liberation mirrors an underdog tale, reminiscent of the classic film Shawshank Redemption.
These animal escapades, while amusing, can mask serious challenges. An escaped animal may experience distress or danger, especially if it’s a non-native species that threatens the local ecosystem.
While tranquilizer darts are often used to sedate escaped animals, those posing a threat in public areas can be shot.
Zoos are equipped with emergency protocols for such incidents. For instance, in the UK, government guidelines require zoos to perform at least four escape drills annually, including scenarios involving dangerous animals.
Fortuitously, Honshu was safely recaptured. He moved to Edinburgh Zoo for a fresh start and is reportedly establishing alpha male status among his troop. One can only hope his new home offers an endless supply of Yorkshire puddings.
This article explores the question, “Which animals are most likely to escape from zoos?” posed by Chloe Reynolds from Bath.
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MUCH reflects on the remarkable journey of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a standout role-playing game crafted by a small team. (We recently hit 2 million sales.) This narrative is captivating amidst a landscape dominated by blockbuster flops, live service titles, and exorbitant budgets. The dedicated team has produced something lengthy, unique, and beautiful, priced at £40, leading to a win-win scenario for all involved. However, it’s not entirely accurate.
Sandfall Interactive, the French studio behind the game, comprises around 30 talented individuals. As noted by Rock Paper Shotgun, the credits list more contributors, from Korean animation teams to outsourced quality assurance testers, localization specialists, and performance artists who bring the game’s narrative and emotional depth to life.
When compared to the massive teams behind Final Fantasy titles (the clear inspiration for Sandfall), the comparatively small collective that developed Clair Obscur is noteworthy. What’s even more intriguing is that this small team has fashioned an exquisite French creation that resonates with us all. To the distress of my partner, I opted for the French voice acting with English subtitles to amplify my immersive experience.
Set in the Belle Époque-inspired realm of Clair Obscur, players encounter a foreboding entity known as Paintress Daubs, who has traversed ominous totem numbers annually, descending from a population of 100. (This game and Neva are the only titles in recent memory that have brought tears to my eyes. The beginning.) As the game counts down from 34 to 33, a courageous, slightly magical 30th expedition embarks towards a continent laden with sedatives, facing death in their quest to halt the cycle. The city is stunning, and everyone is dressed immaculately. Also, nothing seemingly poses a threat every few moments.
The most quintessentially French experience you’ve ever had… Claire’s Obscur: Expedition 33. Photo: Sandfall Interactive
Many expeditions have previously faced this fate. As you navigate, you encounter gruesome remnants of these journeys, alongside their recorded accounts left to assist future travelers. Beginning in a ravaged Paris, the distorted Eiffel Tower looms over a picturesque Dali-esque horizon. The game feels like a waltz through a renowned museum on the brink of being engulfed by a black hole. One notable area is a desolate sea, featuring the wreck of a previous expedition, entwined with the carcass of a leviathan, adorned with waves of seaweed fluttering in the absent currents. It’s breathtaking but perilous. You must swiftly master a complex battle system and survive the initial boss encounters.
Clair Obscur’s combat draws inspiration from both classic and contemporary Japanese RPGs. Dynamic and vibrant, you can charge fireballs and time your dodges against the flailing fists of stone automatons. Combining uniquely distinctive character skills is vital. One character wields a rapier, shifting stances with every strike, while another engages with an enigmatic system of Sun and Moon Tarot cards. If this all seems excessively luxurious, it is — and I relish it. The battle menu is a Tinker’s dream, allowing for the development of esoteric powers and skills to create captivating combo attacks.
What captivates me most about this game is its uniqueness; it doesn’t mimic any other title. While most games riff on a handful of predictable franchises: Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Marvel, this game sources inspiration from an entirely different aesthetic and theme pool. It emerges as a Baroque fantasy, a tale encompassing existentialism, love, death, and heritage — articulated through a European narrative style with Japanese-inspired action and artistry. Although it plays differently, its peculiar characteristics evoke memories of last year’s outstanding title, Repantazio. (There seems to be a notable connection between intellectually ambitious RPGs and perplexing names.)
Clair Obscur further exemplifies the impressive capabilities of game development tools available today. If you’re curious how a small team achieved this high-end aesthetic, that constitutes a significant part of the explanation. It instills a sense of optimism regarding the future of mid-tier game development, nestled between blockbusters and indie projects. Many of the most intriguing titles emerged in the early 2000s and 2010s. Perhaps some larger publishers consider this approach to be overly French, but Sandfall has successfully produced it nonetheless. Expedition 33 serves not only as a noteworthy commercial triumph but also as a beacon of creativity in the gaming sphere.
What to play
Exciting, one-minute thrill…Fate: Dark Ages. Photo: Bethesda
The upcoming Doom game is generating buzz, with reviews indicating it’s a glorious heavy metal spectacle of violence. Whether you’re obliterating demons, impaling them with spikes, shredding them with chainsaw shields, or summoning massive hellish creatures from colossal robots, Destiny: Dark Ages boasts a vaguely medieval flair, with slower and more intimate combat relative to its predecessors in the franchise (as suggested by the title), yet remains exhilarating.
Available on: Xbox, PS5, PC Estimated playtime: Over 20 hours
What to read
Chaos Machine…Grand Theft Auto VI. Photo: Rockstar Games
Grand Theft Auto VI has been delayed until May next year and remains a mystery in the 2025 release calendar. Kotaku indicates some serious rescheduling is occurring behind the scenes leading up to the summer announcement.
The prestigious National Play Museum of America has announced four new games among its Hall of Fame: Defender, GoldenEye 007, Quake, and arguably suitable for Tanaka. They overcame the candidacy of Angry Birds from Age of Empires.
Podcasts and video collectives have sprung up following last week’s industry media drama, with A Giant Bomb becoming independent and contributing to the growing stability of games media outlets supported by worker-owned initiatives.
“Read the book, Roubaix”… Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite. Photo: 2K Game
Leader Travis submitted this week’s question:
“I’m considering launching a book club-style video game group. Two questions: what should I name it, and which games would you recommend for discussion?”
This is a fantastic idea, reminding me of an attempt I made ages ago as an IGN podcast, though I can’t recall its name. Was it “press the push”? “Save Points”? LFG? For such groups, I lean towards shorter games (so everyone can participate). I’d be thrilled to discuss Neva for its environmental themes and parenting narratives or Life is Strange for its rich, intricate storytelling with supernatural elements, or even a variety of games like While I’m Waiting, which prompted profound thoughts. This would surely be more engaging than merely debating whether Assassin’s Creed is relevant.
I asked my partner for his video game book club name suggestion, and he offered “Text Adventure.” My other friend Tom suggested “Mountain of Shame.” What do you think, reader? Any ideas?
If you have a question for the block or feedback on the newsletter, feel free to hit reply or email us at butingbuttons@theguardian.com.
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