One of the most frightening things that can happen at a zoo is an animal making a break for it. This is what visitors of the Buffalo Zoo experienced Monday when an animal got loose.
“Great day for a Zoo Stroll, especially if you took the day off because of the weather, yeah, that’s it,” the zoo posted on their Facebook page earlier today.
But the great day for a zoo stroll quickly turned into a scary one, as a gorilla escaped from its enclosure. Early Monday, a gorilla managed to escape from its cage, confirmed Buffalo police spokesman Mike DeGeorge to WBEN.
Police were called and authorities were on the scene quickly. According to reports, the gorilla was soon contained in a zookeeper’s lounge area, where authorities tranquilized the animal and brought it back to its enclosure.
“I hope the Gorilla is safe and returned to its place without hurting anyone,” one Facebook user commented.
According to reports, during the melee visitors were taken to a cafeteria or other buildings for safety and there are currently no reports of injury.
The Buffalo Zoo, according to the zoo’s website, is a 23.5 acre urban zoo and is the third oldest zoo in the United States (est. 1875).
“At the Zoo, animals move freely in large and modest enclosures with trees, streams, pools, and other natural-like features,” reads the zoo’s website. “We house a wide variety of animals representing all corners of the earth and have even been known to occasionally invite a traveling koala or white alligator.”
The Buffalo Zoo reportedly houses several western lowland gorillas. The animals, according to National Geographic are an endangered species and are known to reside in heavy rain forests in Africa including in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, among other places.
