Lusaka - A baboon plunged a Zambian
tourist town into darkness on Sunday after tampering with
equipment at a hydro-electric power station, the state
electricity company said on Monday.
The 108 megawatt power station in Livingstone, a hub for
tourists visiting nearby Victoria Falls, is close to a national
park but it is rare for animals to wander into the plant.
Zesco Ltd, which owns the power station, said the baboon
disturbed a high voltage transformer leaving about 40,000
customers without electricity for five hours.
"The baboon suffered an electric shock and was taken to
wildlife officers for treatment," Zesco spokesperson Henry Kapata
said, adding that the animal was fortunate to survive.
In a similar incident last year, a monkey caused a
nationwide blackout in Kenya.