Terrifying footage shows moment zookeeper gets accidentally locked inside enclosure with gorilla
Poppy Bilderbeck
Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@ben30609
Warning: This article contains a video which some readers may find distressing.
People are flooding to social media to weigh in on a video of zookeepers getting stuck inside a gorilla enclosure.
A pair of zookeepers from Fort Worth Zoo in Texas ended up getting even more up close and personal with the animals then they anticipated after an 'error' saw them trapped in an enclosure with a male silverback.
And someone managed to capture the moment on camera. Prepare to nibble on your nails in apprehension:
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The clip was first shared to TikTok by a man called Ben - who goes by the username @ben306069 - who told Fox News Digital he was the 'responding security officer' to the incident.
The footage - which occurred in fall 2023 - shows viewers peering through a viewing screen to see a zookeeper sprinting away from a gorilla called Elmo.
Elmo is a 34-year-old silverback gorilla, silverbacks known for
'displays of aggression and dominance including whooping, charging, chest beating, tree slapping, and less commonly, physical duels' and typically weighing around '430 pounds (195kg)' and standing 'five feet (1.5m) tall,' Virunga National Park's website states.
The zookeeper ends up in a stand-off with Elmo, but thankfully runs to a door which she then goes through and shuts creating a barrier between her and Elmo, seen reaching for her radio, presumably calling for back-up.
However, the video then pans to another zookeeper who's on the other side of the enclosure, very much out in the open, and you can see the moment Elmo spots her.
In the background, a voice can be heard saying: "God help her. God protect her."
Elmo then runs to the other side of the enclosure, the other zookeeper stood frozen facing him.
As he runs, she quickly dashes a few steps over and slowly lowers her bucket, staying facing him at all times, but Elmo then runs over towards her again.
She sees her opportunity and sprints off and thankfully manages to reach the door her colleague has just gone through.
And it's not taken long for people to flood to the post to weigh in on the incident.
One TikToker wrote: "The Silverback did a great job of staying calm & giving the zookeepers space to leave. While also letting them know to leave."
"He knew they fed him and took care of him. Animals are so smart. He was just wondering why she was there. He was a good boy!" another added.
And a third commented: "How gentle he was with that bucket shows he does have a good heart and wasn’t trying to hurt anyone he was just confused I think. Protecting his domain."
The zoo’s director of marketing and public relations Avery Elander told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram the incident resulted from 'keeper error'.
A spokesperson for Fort Worth Zoo told People: "On Oct. 20, 2023, an incident led to two of our zookeepers sharing space with our 34-year-old silverback gorilla. Thankfully, there was no physical contact between keepers and gorilla; and all staff and animals are safe.
"Every day, the zookeepers shift the gorilla troop into their indoor habitat so that keepers can place the animals’ lunch in their outdoor habitat. Due to keeper error, staff entered the yard unaware that the silverback was still in its habitat.
"The zookeepers work with and train these animals every day and thanks to their knowledge and expertise, they navigated the situation calmly and were able to exit the yard safely."
UNILAD has contacted Fort Worth Zoo for comment.