A red ruffed lemur escaped from an Amsterdam zoo and crossed several roads and tram tracks before take shelter in a tree.

June 29 (UPI) -- A red ruffed lemur escaped from an Amsterdam zoo and crossed several roads and tram tracks before take shelter in a tree.

The lemur escaped Friday afternoon from the Artis Zoo and was spotted about an hour and a half later in a tree along a road a few blocks away.

Officials said the lemur would have had to cross several streets, including one with tram tracks. The animal was reportedly almost struck by a taxi.

"That must have been incredibly stressful," zoo official Maartje de Vries told Het Parool.

The lemur was on a branch about 20 feet over the ground. Officials made the decision to dart the animal with a tranquilizer before attempting to bring it down.

"It was not possible to simply remove the animal from the tree with a ladder truck," de Vries said. "A red ruffed lemur is not used to that, so it might get frightened and run away."

De Vries said officials have not yet determined how the lemur managed to escape from its enclosure. She said the current high temperatures may have contributed to the primate's wanderlust.

The zoo said the lemur did not appear to be injured, but would be examined by a veterinarian before returning to its enclosure.