This is the bizarre moment an ape on the loose that appeared to be an escaped baby gorilla climbed the drainpipes of a high-rise residential building.

A stunned passerby captured the strange sight that he witnessed in the city of Shaoguan, in Guangdong Province, southern China on December 7.

Phone footage shows what looks like a small gorilla crawling up the pipes on the outer wall. It occasionally stepped on the windowsills to rest, and it climbed to the fifth floor.

Residents from the building said they were not sure if it was a gorilla or some other primate. They immediately reported the case to police, but the wild animal is yet to be found and captured.

Property management staff told local media: 'We contacted the Forestry Bureau on that day. We are not sure what it is exactly.

'Similar situations have occurred in other nearby communities.'

Staff said that the building that the animal climbed was mostly vacant, so it did not cause significant trouble.

They added: 'It's quite big, and it climbs quite fast. We ran to the top of a building to catch it.

'Just as we reached the top, it ran to another building.'

Currently, the whereabouts of this animal are unknown.

The property management said they will be on the lookout for it, adding: 'It's better to capture it because we are also afraid it might harm people.'

Meanwhile, wildlife authorities reminded citizens to remain calm if they encounter any wild animals and avoid contact.