The moment a dog managed to get into a gorilla enclosure at the San Diego Zoo – and was even chased by one of the primates before being safely removed – is captured on video.
Visitors at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park captured the incident on video on Sunday, attempting to call the gorilla by its name to prevent it from harming the dog.
As families rushed to alert the zoo staff, the dog, a year-and-a-half-old male shepherd, could be seen attempting to flee Frank the gorilla.
‘They just started chasing after him, and that was pretty nerve-wracking,’ said CBS 8’s Robert Robles, who witnessed the incident.
‘A lot of zoo employees showed up, and we were literally kicked out.’
Before the dog was safely removed, keepers at the zoo asked Frank and another gorilla inside the enclosure to leave.
According to CBS 8, the shepherd, named Mighty Joe Young by the San Diego Humane Society, has been placed on stray hold while the organization searches for its owner.
‘Wildlife care experts successfully recalled the two gorillas from the habitat, allowing the dog to be removed. Recall training is part of the Park’s regular safety procedures,’ according to a statement from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
The terrifying moment a stray shepherd was chased by a gorilla was captured on cellphone video, with terrified visitors screaming in terror as the dog continued to run for his life.
The San Diego Humane Society went inside and rescued the dog after the gorillas were removed from the enclosure by zoo staff.
‘He just wanted to go out,’ rescuer Samantha Clark told CBS 8.
‘Nervous, afraid, understandably so,’ Clark said. ‘He was in a new environment with new smells. Obviously, getting chased by a gorilla would make him nervous.’
Clark said the gorilla probably just wanted to scare the dog out of the enclosure, but they worried that the situation would have escalated.
Mighty Joe Young’s owner has yet to be found, but according to CBS 8, many are in line to welcome it home.