A raging gorilla terrified visitors and staff as it escaped from London Zoo.
Kumbuka, thought to be a male silverback, smashed his way out of his enclosure, causing the zoo into lockdown as they tried to restrain the animal.
Oliver Barker, 24, who was at the zoo for a marketing conference, told the Mail Online the gorilla had seemed ‘agitated’ earlier and had even tried to smash his way out of the enclosure.
‘He looked like he was in a sort of trance, he definitely wasn’t relaxed at all.
‘He looked very intimidating. The zookeeper came over and said, “don’t aggravate him by staring at him”.
Eyewitness Brad Evans told BBC Radio London: ‘As we were waiting we saw the police turning up in numbers with loads of guns.’
The Metropolitan Police confirmed to Mail Online they received a call from the zoo host before 5.30pm and that the gorilla was captured before 6.30 pm with a tranquilizer dart.
An employee at London Zoo reportedly said it isn’t the first time this has happened. ‘He’s smashed the enclosure glass a couple of times,’ he told BuzzFeed News.
Twitter user Rob Hogan shared a picture of Kumbuka two seconds before he threw himself through the window.
The incident came just months after Harambe the gorilla was killed by staff at Cincinatti Zoo when a child fell in the enclosure.
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