Melbourne Zoo orangutan makes second escape

Melbourne Zoo's adventurous orangutan Malu has made another bid for freedom, briefly escaping his enclosure and sending the attraction into lockdown on Friday.

The 15-year-old Sumatran orangutan also got out of his enclosure in 2015, forcing the evacuation of zoo visitors.

Following the incident, Melbourne Zoo thanked visitors for remaining calm as staff worked to shepherd the great ape back into his exhibit.

In a statement, the Zoo advised "thank you to the visitors at Melbourne Zoo this afternoon for being so calm and listening to our staff and following our instructions after Malu the Orang-utan briefly got out of his exhibit

"While his adventure was only brief, we would like to thank our incredible keeper team who were able to quickly get him to move into the Orang-utan Sanctuary viewing area in accordance with our training practices."

Following the incident, with Malu back in his enclosure the attraction's night-time light projection show, Neon Playground, was unaffected.

In the wild, Sumatran orangutans are under great threat, with fewer than 3,500 remaining in their traditional habitats.

Melbourne Zoo said the animals' rainforest habitat is being destroyed to make way for logging and palm oil plantations, and they are also hunted for the pet trade and for meat.

Breeding programs in captivity are trying to ensure the species doesn't disappear.