A 286-pound gorilla escaped from his cage in the Berlin zoo on Tuesday, causing momentary panic. The eight-year-old silverback gorilla either climbed or leaped the 15-foot plate glass walls of his enclosure and began to stroll around the zoo grounds.
“He just stood and scratched himself. He looked awesome but not fierce,” Berlin zoo visitor Husam Shawabakeh said.
“Gorillas are gentle but very powerful,” Zoo boss Heiner Kloes added. “He could have hurt someone badly.”
Zoo keepers caught the gorilla and led him back to his cage before anyone was hurt. This is the second time in the last few months a gorilla has escaped, though the last time three people were attacked and the gorilla was shot to death by police.
