Baboon causes massive power cut in Zambia

A baboon's monkey business left tens of thousands of people without power in Zambia.

The tourist town of Livingstone was plunged into a blackout for six-and-a-half hours after a baboon wandered into the local power station.

Zesco Ltd, the company that owns the power station, said on Monday that the primate had fiddled with a high voltage transformer and received a shock, but had survived and was now in the care of wildlife officials. "We see baboons around but not literally getting into the sub-station and then tampering with the installation".

Mr Kapata said a person would also have been prosecuted.

Baboon causes massive power cut in Zambia

The baboon was handed over to the Zambia Wildlife Authority (Zawa) with serious injuries and is now recovering in intensive care.

Electricity has now been restored to the affected customers in Livingstone and the nearby Western Province.

Mr. Kapata says the animal has survived the electric shock because baboons have highly insulated palms noting that a human being could not have survived in the same situation. The plant is close to a national park but it is rare for animals to wander into the 108 megawatt power station.

A monkey in Kenya caused a similar incident a year ago, although that blackout was nationwide.