San Diego — A 10-year-old western lowland gorilla named Denny created quite the stir on Saturday by breaking through one of the protective glass layers at the San Diego Zoo. Zoo officials confirmed the incident took place in the gorilla forest habitat, where another gorilla was present.
According to the zoo’s statement, Denny broke through one of the three layers of reinforced glass designed to separate visitors from the animals. Fortunately, Denny himself was unharmed, and both gorillas will be kept behind the scenes until the damaged panels can be replaced.
Zoo representatives pointed out that only one layer of the glass was compromised in the incident and ensured that no guests or staff members were injured.
Witnesses were taken by surprise during the occurrence. Katia Sutil, who was celebrating her birthday at the zoo with her sister, mentioned that they were momentarily distracted by their phones. “We didn’t see him run up and hit the glass,” she recalled. “He made contact with his elbow or forearm, and it was like glass was right in front of my face.” She described how the impact startled her, causing her to back up a few feet. When she looked up, she saw Denny making direct eye contact before noticing a significant crack—about six feet long—in the glass.
As for when the gorilla habitat will reopen to guests, that remains uncertain. Sutil shared her experience, recalling, “For the 20 minutes we were there, the gorillas were running back and forth, teasing each other. One would charge at the other, then vanish, and it would all happen again,” suggesting there might have been some tension between the two gorillas.
Western lowland gorillas, like Denny, are an endangered species found within the forests of Central Africa. The San Diego Zoo is dedicated to conservation efforts aimed at protecting these primates and their habitats.
