Aue, Germany  - The head of a German zoo dived fully clothed into a river to save a drowning money, officials in the eastern German town of Aue said Tuesday, as the Japanese macaque recovered from its nearly fatal flirt with freedom.

Keepers used an anaesthetic dart to immobilize the monkey in a tree Monday evening, three days after it had got out of its cage. But it promptly fell 14 metres into the water and did not resurface. Aue Zoo chief Christian Schroller jumped in and plucked it to safety. (dpa)