A video of two Texas zoo keepers accidentally getting trapped in an exhibit with gorillas has gone viral online.
A video posted to TikTok on Thursday shows a silverback gorilla named Elmo entering the Fort Worth Zoo's exhibit while two employees were still inside. The monkey is seen following the shadow of one of the zoo keepers.
Zoo visitors can be heard panicking, with one praying for the safety of the staff. “Oh my god, God help me, God help me, God help me,” the woman says.
Employees should move slowly, remain calm, and wait for the appropriate opportunity to exit safely.
The video of the incident, which occurred on October 20, 2023, had been viewed more than 25 million times by Friday evening.
“Thankfully, there was no physical contact between the zookeepers and the gorillas, and all staff and animals are safe,” zoo spokeswoman Avery Elander said in a statement Friday.
USA TODAY reached out to the TikTok account owner. It is unclear why the video was posted recently.
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The zoo said the cause of the incident was “an error on the part of the zookeeper.”
Elander said zookeepers entered the garden without knowing the gorilla was still in its habitat due to a “career error.”
“Zoo keepers move gorilla groups into indoor habitats every day so keepers can put the animals' lunches in outdoor habitats,” Elander told USA TODAY. Ta. Their expertise allowed them to calmly handle the situation and get out of the garden safely. ”
Elmo is a 34-year-old silverback who has lived at the zoo for several years. According to an Instagram post, he became a father in 2021 after the birth of Gus.
