NEED TO KNOW
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A gorilla at the San Diego Zoo left a large crack in his enclosure after smashing into its glass wall on Saturday, Oct. 11
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Denny, a 10-year-old western lowland gorilla, was one of two gorillas in the enclosure at the time, and people likened the moment to an earthquake
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San Diego Zoo officials confirmed that no one, including Denny or the other gorilla, was injured in the incident
A gorilla at the San Diego Zoo shocked visitors by crashing into the glass wall of his enclosure, leaving a massive, spidery crack.
The shocking incident took place at the San Diego Zoo’s gorilla habitat on a busy afternoon at the park on Saturday, Oct. 11, ABC 10 News San Diego and KUSI reported.
According to a statement from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the organization that operates the zoo, obtained by PEOPLE, “On Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, Denny, a 10-year-old western lowland gorilla, broke one layer of a three-layered tempered glass panel at the San Diego Zoo’s gorilla forest habitat.”
In footage of the frightening moment, captured by Emily Houglin and shared with PEOPLE, Denny charges at the glass wall of his habitat, which he is sharing with another gorilla. The powerful primate makes contact with the glass wall with a heavy thud, which leaves the group near the wall gasping and yelping in fear. After the shrieks stop, the clip shows the substantial crack Denny left behind.
Zoo officials confirmed that there were no injuries as a result of the incident, telling KUSI, “Both gorillas will be cared for behind the scenes until the panel has been replaced.”
Jackie Doubler, who was visiting the zoo during the incident, told ABC 10 News San Diego that it “felt like an earthquake,” adding, “It was pretty scary.”
Emily Holguin
Denny charging toward his habitat’s wall
However, he praised the zoo’s response, saying, “Security guards handled the situation well.”
Katya Sutil, another witness, told KUSI that Denny had “taken a running start, jumped and launched into the glass.” She estimated that the crack was 6 feet long.
“[It was] directly in front of my face,” recalled Sutil. “When it hit in front of me, I was so jolted I fell back a few feet. When I looked up to see what had happened, I saw the gorilla staring directly at me, making eye contact with me.”
Emily Holguin
Denny the westeren lowland gorilla
Sutil added that both gorillas in the habitat were “going back and forth, kind of taunting each other,” adding, “One would charge the other and then disappear, then it would happen again.”
The San Diego Zoo closed the gorilla habitat following the incident, per KUSI.
Emily Holguin
Crack left behind in the glass wall of the San Diego Zoo’s gorilla enclosure
While Denny’s bout of glass breaking was startling and scary to some, SDZWA said there is nothing out of the ordinary or alarming about the young gorilla’s behavior,
“It is common for male gorillas, especially in adolescence, to express these types of behaviors. Bursts of energy, charging, dragging items, or running sideways are all natural for a young male,” the organization said in its statement to PEOPLE.
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Western lowland gorillas are an endangered species and are the smallest of the four gorilla subspecies. They can still reach sizes of six feet tall and weigh upwards of 400 pounds.
Populations of the primate can be found in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of Congo, according to the National Geographic.
Read the original article on People
