Lifestyle Pets Escaped Massachusetts Zoo Monkey Dizzy Still at Large Dizzy the monkey has been taking the keepers of Springfield, Massachusetts' Forest Park Zoo for a spin By Kelli Bender Kelli Bender Kelli Bender is the Pets Editor for PEOPLE Digital and PEOPLE magazine. She has been with the PEOPLE brand for more than eight years, working as a writer/producer across PEOPLE's Lifestyle, Features, and Entertainment verticals before taking on her current role. Kelli is also an editor on PEOPLE's Stories to Make You Smile and serves as an editorial lead on PEOPLE's World's Cutest Rescue Dog Contest and Pet Product Awards. Before joining PEOPLE, Kelli helped AOL and Whalerock launch a pet lifestyle site called PawNation. She is a pet parent to a cat named Wallace, and her professional and personal devotion to animals has taken her to three dog weddings ... so far. People Editorial Guidelines Published on June 22, 2016 09:26 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Don Treeger/The Republican/AP Dizzy the monkey has been taking the keepers of Springfield, Massachusetts’ Forest Park Zoo for a spin. The 12-lb. Guenon monkey escaped from his enclosure while it was being cleaned on Tuesday, by twisting a doorknob and making a break for it, reports the Boston Globe. Dizzy has had the zoo’s staff playing catch up ever since. On Wednesday, the furry fugitive was spotted hanging out in the trees near his enclosure. Keepers have tried shooting tranquilizer darts at him, luring him with food and tempting him back with his mate Mitzy, but none of the measures have worked so far. The zoo’s staff believes that the monkey ultimately wants to be back home and that a mix of bad weather, lack of food and homesickness will draw him back to his enclosure, if they don’t catch him first. While authorities play this waiting game, the zoo will remain closed to the public, but the park surrounding the zoo is still open. “We are now pleading with the public and the media to stay away from the zoo until Dizzy is returned safely. This could take days, so we appreciate your cooperation,” zoo officials said in a statement. This warning is for the animal’s safety. Dizzy is not a danger to the public due to his small size.