A massive gorilla startled visitors at the San Diego Zoo on Saturday when he charged at the wall of his enclosure, breaking part of a thick glass panel in front of horrified onlookers. Shocking video footage captured the moment.
The gorilla, Denny, a 10-year-old western lowland male, shattered one layer of the enclosure’s three-layer tempered glass in the zoo’s Gorilla Forest habitat, zoo officials confirmed. CBS8 obtained video showing Denny propelling himself toward the glass, prompting gasps and screams from several visitors as they stepped back in alarm.
Photos also show members of the crowd examining the partially broken panel after the incident. Denny was unharmed, and zoo staff will continue caring for him and the other gorilla in the habitat while the panel is replaced.
A San Diego Zoo spokesperson explained that such behavior is typical for adolescent male gorillas. “Bursts of energy, charging, dragging items, or running sideways are all natural for a young male,” the spokesperson said.
Denny had previously lived with several siblings, including his brother Maka, who died unexpectedly in August at age 30 from a cardiac event, the zoo said. Dr. Erin Riley, an anthropology professor at San Diego State University, told CBS8 that Denny’s actions could have been influenced by grief over his late brother.
“Gorillas, particularly males, often engage in what we call ‘charging displays’—acts of showing off,” Riley said. She added that the behavior could also be triggered by visitors’ actions. “One of the things gorillas don’t like is being stared at directly in the eyes, which zoo visitors may not always understand,” she noted.
It’s also possible Denny was simply playing. However, because his attention was focused on the glass, Riley suggested he may have felt slightly threatened by something among the spectators.
Western lowland gorillas are the largest primates on Earth, with adult males weighing up to 500 pounds. The species is endangered due to deforestation in central Africa, according to the zoo.