A video has been released showing the moment an orangutan escaped from its enclosure after climbing a fence and scaling a roof at Perth Zoo in Australia.

The amateur footage, filmed by a visitor to the zoo, shows the young ape run down a public footpath with a water bottle in its mouth, before clambering up a turnstile to use as a climbing frame.

The five-year-old Sumatran orangutan, named Teliti, was quickly rounded up by zookeepers who ushered her inside a secure holding area, before reuniting the ape with her mother Peteri.

Perth Zoo took to Twitter to announce the incident online. "Teliti our curious 5 yr old orang went for a stroll earlier she's now back with her family," they said.

Twitter/PerthZoo

Perth Zoo spokeswoman Danielle Henry told ABC News that the ape escape was "unusual behaviour".

"It's actually believed that Teliti jumped from her exhibit," she said. "That's a behaviour which is quite unusual for an orangutan. They would normally swing or climb, but jumping is quite an unusual behaviour.

"We think that she's actually utilised a shade sail within her exhibit to hoist herself up so we're conducting a full review at the moment."

Perth Zoo has since announced an investigation into the incident and review of its security is under way.

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