A seemingly excited western lowland gorilla was striking a viewing window in his enclosure so hard the protective glass cracked.
Video from the San Diego Zoo shows visitors getting a scare Saturday when Denny, who’s 10 years old and likely weighs at least 300 pounds, caused the damage with a mighty strike.
Zoo officials said Denny was uninjured, according to ABC 10 News San Diego. But the panel he smashed needs to be replaced. The powerful ape penetrated one of three layers of glass separating onlookers from the gorilla habitat.
“It literally felt like an earthquake… before we realized that that was just him hitting [the glass],” zoo visitor Jackie Doubler said.
Doubler said zoo staff reacted to the situation quickly, though visitors may have been in trouble had Denny taken another swing at the protective barrier.
Another witness told KTLA the gorilla appeared to have taken a running start and smashed the window with his elbow or forearm. It’s unclear what provoked Denny. The crack in the glass he made appeared to stretch several feet.
