It’s happening again…
London Zoo was placed under lockdown on Thursday evening following a gorilla reportedly breaking out from its enclosure.
https://twitter.com/HeartLondonNews/status/786609787970674688
After confirming the breakout at 6pm London Zoo moved quickly to lock down the zoo, hoping to protect members of the public from the as yet unnamed gorilla.
According to the London Zoo website, it has six gorillas. They are called Zaire, Mjukuu, Effie, Kumbuka, Alika and Gernot. The last two are younger gorillas, both less than two years old.
As visitors to the zoo took to social media to better explain the situation, London Zoo made it known that it is their intention to tranquilize the gorilla, rather than put the animal down.
The public are not believed to be at risk.
#Gorilla on the loose? Huddling in a building at the #londonzoo after staff told us to get into a building quickly! pic.twitter.com/BBbFvBLTn6
— Dr. Jonathan T. Mall (@CognitiveTwo) October 13, 2016
Stuck inside Butterfly Paradise at London Zoo as helicopters and sirens all around, something happening with gorillas. #Weird
— C҉R҉I҉S҉ (@crisclark) October 13, 2016
Experiencing a lock in at London Zoo 🔐 #animalontheloose #wwwf16
— WWWF (@WWWFConference) October 13, 2016
At time of writing, some video has emerged of what appears to be animal trainers arriving at the zoo with the intention of apprehending the gorilla.
@SkyNewsBreak lock in at London Zoo – Gorilla on the loose? pic.twitter.com/X9ukqgrI9o
— hannah (@hannahod) October 13, 2016
Less than six months from the passing of Harambe (RIP the meme lord, for he died for our sins and is forever missed), we can only hope and pray another innocent noble gorilla isn’t put down.
*UPDATE*
It looks like people have since been allowed to leave the zoo, and BBC News journalist Robert Rea‘s colleague was told that the incident was over. We still don’t know exactly what happened, or whether there was even a gorilla roaming the park in the first place.
Looks like #londongorilla may no longer be on the loose. Police have just told BBC cameraman on the scene that incident is "over"
— Robert Rea (@robertrea) October 13, 2016
Police leaving scene, people being allowed back into zoo
— Robert Rea (@robertrea) October 13, 2016
Buzzfeed News report that staff were given the all-clear by 6:20pm, and it is thought the the gorilla was tranquillised.
