London Zoo Calls Gorilla Escape A ‘Minor Incident,’ Kumbuka Is “Doing Very Well”
A London Zoo announced on Friday that the escape of a silverback gorilla from its enclosure at the facility was a “minor incident” which posed no danger to the public. However, animal rights activists are putting pressure on officials to investigate the incident further. A wildlife advocacy group states that the incident, which ended without injuries to any visitors or to the animal, might have resulted in a tragic outcome.
London Zoo says escape of gorilla from enclosure was ‘minor incident’ https://t.co/gcoAXmM97i pic.twitter.com/b2vQlWAVPo
— CP24 (@CP24) October 14, 2016
A 400-pound gorilla named Kumbuka, a male lowland gorilla, escaped from his enclosure on Thursday night out into an area that the zoo called “a secure keepers area.”
Police arrived at the zoo, and visitors were locked inside the zoo’s premises until the gorilla was subdued by way of a tranquilizer. Officials state that the gorilla was not a danger, and he was back in his enclosure, unharmed, just over an hour after escaping. The zoo’s curator of mammals, Malcolm Fitzpatrick, shared about the event and how the staff was trained to handle Kumbuka’s escape.
“In the zoo, we train throughout the year for a variety of different emergency procedures, often in collaboration with the emergency services. It’s testament to that training that this incident was dealt with so quickly and remained a minor incident.”
Witnesses have been reporting that the gorilla was seen behaving aggressively and banging on the glass of his enclosure before his escape, yet Fitzpatrick said Kumbuka did not escape by breaking the glass. The curator of mammals did not divulge details about the gorilla’s escape method, however,
On Friday, Fitzpatrick shared that Kumbuka is now back with his family of gorillas and is “doing very well.” He has also been given a few extra treats following his swift escape. The zoo also shares that there is an investigation into the silverback’s escape underway.
An organization which is campaigning for zoos to be completely phased out, The Born Free Foundation, has stated that the incident is simply a reminder of “the risks of keeping dangerous wild animals in captivity,” as the Associated Press shares.
Chris Draper of the foundation spoke on the subject of the escape and its link to their cause.
“This incident could have ended very differently. We are calling for an urgent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding this escape, and into safety procedures at London Zoo.”
This incident, which has been described as “minor” by the zoo employees, reminds everyone of how quickly the situation could turn deadly, not only for humans but for the animal. Certainly, Kumbuka’s escape recalls the situation at the Cincinnati Zoo back in May. When a 4-year-old boy fell into the moat in the gorilla enclosure, a gorilla named Harambe grabbed him and was then shot dead.
Another incident in 2007 involved a 400-pound gorilla that escaped at the Rotterdam zoo in the Netherlands and ran wild through the facility. During the escape, the gorilla bit one woman and then dragged her around until it was finally subdued.
Gorilla that escaped its enclosure at the London Zoo was subdued by a tranquilizer dart https://t.co/6CcRf6htgW pic.twitter.com/qz0srfYQVY
— CNN (@CNN) October 14, 2016
In reference to the habitat they try to create for the gorillas at the London Zoo, Fitzpatrick states that Kumbuka and the other gorillas “help to fulfill the zoo’s mission to inspire a passion for the animal world in visitors,” as the AP notes.
“Kumbuka is a fantastic silverback gorilla, and when you see him interacting with his son and daughter, it really inspires our visitors,” he said. “And we hope that they themselves will then have a lifelong connection to animals, habitats and helping to conserve them.”
It is easy, however, to see the point of the activists when the outcome of such an escape, or closeness with visitors, results in an end like Harambe’s
[Featured Image by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images]
