HOWELL — The baboon that led officials on a two-day chase has been caught.

"Our staff confirmed that an adolescent baboon was found in Howell," said Kristin B. Siebeneicher, a spokeswoman for Six Flags Great Adventure. "The animal was tranquilized and is being brought to the safari for a physical exam and health assessment."

Police officers from Howell and Great Adventure staff tranquilized the baboon around 2:40 p.m. today on a farm on Fairfield Road in Howell.

"While we haven’t confirmed the origin of this animal, it seems likely that it is one of the Safari’s baboons," Siebeneicher said. Great Adventure is home to a drive-through safari. About 150 baboons roam free and breed inside a chain link fence there, and the state does not require the park to keep an exact count of how many primates it has on a given day.

All of the baboons are vaccinated and have a microchip embedded beneath their skin, Siebeneicher said.

The baboon was first spotted at 2 p.m. Thursday sitting on the east side of Interstate 195 near Exit 16. Over the course of the next two days, the monkey would lead police across Ocean and Monmouth counties as dozens of residents in Jackson and Freehold called police to report its latest whereabouts.

Previous coverage

:

• Escaped baboon, spotted in Jackson and Freehold, remains missing

• Baboon still on the loose in Jackson, residents say

• Jackson woman reports baboon sighting at home