Zoo’s are places where creatures are kept in enclosures as humans come to look at them. Yet in a bizarre turn of events, it was visitors to the London Zoo who had to kept locked inside ‘safe areas’. As zookeepers armed with tranquiliser guns and armed police in assistance with a police helicopter attempted to re-capture Kumbuka, the gorilla.
Kumbuka, the 29 stone (184kg), 18-year-old male western lowland silverback escaped from his den after a door was left open. Visitors to the gorilla enclosure reported the animal charging aggressively at the viewing window. Witnesses said the “loose animal” siren barred as police were called at 5:20pm to help deal with the 7ft gorilla as visitors were held in the safety of cafes, aquariums, the bird and butterfly enclosures and gift shops for an hour.
A zoo spokesperson said Kumbuka had only escaped into a keeper area which was not open to the public and was tranquillised with a dart and that the gorilla was not hurt in the incident.
