A gorilla ignited a major panic at London Zoo after breaking out of its enclosure.
It’s believed staff and guests at the popular Regent’s Park zoo were put into lockdown on Thursday afternoon after a male western lowland gorilla called Kumbuka smashed the glass and was on the loose.
After staff and police roamed the zoo armed with dart guns to hunt the primate, he was reportedly recaptured shortly before 6.30pm.
Visitors to the zoo took to Twitter tell of the ordeal and one man claimed to have taken a photo of Kumbuka “just two seconds before he threw himself at the window.”
Another zoo goer, Dr Jonathan Mall, tweeted: “Gorilla on the loose? Huddling in a building at the London Zoo after staff told us to get into a building quickly.”
Other witnesses told the BBC it was just like being in “like being in Jurassic Park ” after being told to stay away from windows and seeing guards walk past with guns.
Yesterday Malcolm Fitzpatrick, curator of mammals at London Zoo, confirmed the incident occurred and said Kumbuka was back in his enclosure and “doing very well”.
“At 17:15 our male gorilla got out of his back dens into a secure keeper area,” Mr Fitzpatrick told the BBC. “Our staff were able to respond quickly and Kumbuka was tranquilised and returned to his dens.
“We’re happy to report that he’s up and grumbling, and interacting with the rest of his family in his gorilla kingdom.”
While Mr Fitzpatrick said that the zoo was looking into the details surrounding the escape he stressed, “At no time were any of our visitors in danger, the gorilla did not get out of his safe space.”
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