SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- A gorilla at the San Diego Zoo sprinted towards the viewing glass and cracked one layer of the three layers of tempered glass surrounding the Gorilla habitat Saturday afternoon.
The incident happened Saturday afternoon at the zoo’s gorilla forest habitat and involved a 10-year-old western lowland gorilla named Denny, according to Zoo officials. The gorilla is uninjured, and the Zoo says the two gorillas in that enclosure will be cared for behind the scenes while the panel gets replaced.
Witnesses describe the moment as terrifying, saying they thought the moment of impact was an earthquake.
“It literally felt like an earthquake... before we realized that that was just him hitting [the glass],” Jackie Doubler, a witness, said.
Doubler was at the Zoo that afternoon with his family and girlfriend when he heard the smack of the Gorilla running into the window.
"It was pretty scary. There definitely were people there quick though, security guards," Doubler said, noting that the Zoo "handled the situation well."
Doubler said the crowd had mixed reactions, some getting out of the area quickly, others running to see what happened.
“If he would hit that glass again, I definitely feel like it would have been a whole different story though," Doubler said.
One animal behavior and bonding expert said the reaction could have been in response to a variety of external stimuli, and is a good reminder to be respectful around wildlife/
“It may not necessarily have been an aggressive reaction; it may have been one of excitement, it may have been one of exploration," Dr. Annie Petersen said.
