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PauldoMemberGorilla Injures 4 in Zoo in Brief Escape
By TOBY STERLING
Associated Press Writer
Published May 18, 2007, 11:13 AM CDTAMSTERDAM, Netherlands — A 400-pound gorilla escaped from his enclosure and ran amok in a Rotterdam zoo Friday, biting one woman, dragging her around, and causing panic among dozens of visitors before he was finally subdued, officials and a witness said.
The Diergaarde Blijdorp zoo was evacuated and the 11-year-old gorilla, named Bokito, was eventually contained in a restaurant within the park, police spokeswoman Yvette de Rave said.
Four people were injured, including the woman who was bitten, zoo director Ton Dorrestijn said.
Bokito was shot with a sedative dart and recaptured, said zoo spokeswoman Lilian Jonkers, but she couldn't say what his condition was. It was not immediately clear how he managed to climb the high stone walls surrounding his enclosure.
“He got over the moat, which in itself is remarkable, because gorillas can't swim,” Dorrestijn said. “He got onto a path for visitors and started running and went at full speed through tables and diners at the Oranje restaurant.”
A witness, Robert de Jonge, told NOS radio that he didn't see the gorilla escape but began following it and tried to help after he saw people running and screaming that the animal had grabbed a woman.
“I saw the beast running through the park with a woman behind him, him grabbing her forearm,” De Jonge said.
At a distance of around 30 yards, he saw the gorilla lie down near the woman and then heard her scream.
“He bit her, or I think he bit her, because when he stood up his mouth was covered in blood,” De Jonge said.
He said he then stopped to tell arriving police what had happened and ran with them as they traced the gorilla to a nearby restaurant terrace.
The zoo was packed with visitors as many Dutch took advantage of a national holiday Thursday to make a long weekend.
“Everyone was in panic, running away, screaming, wailing, screaming kids running around, I don't know what all, kids without parents — it was a total drama,” De Jonge said.
Children cowered in their parents' arms as the gorilla loped past.
People tried to hide inside the restaurant and were trying to bar the door, but fled as the gorilla approached, De Jonge said. Bokito then punched through the glass door and ran inside.
“They were all in panic — the animal, too, I mean — and all the people ran outside the restaurant, and zoo personnel were running up and they were able to keep the animal inside by barricading the doors with garden furniture and things,” he said.
De Jonge said he later saw the woman “covered in blood,” but walking unaided.
Copyright © 2007, The Associated Press
EklypzMemberWAY TO GO UNAMED GORILLILLA!!!!
FIGHT THE POWER BROTHER! It's Apes like you that give hope to us all that one day there will be freedom from our oppressors!
PauldoMemberZoo's are evil! I know I would be pretty pissed if someone kept me locked in a cage all of the time. I'd bite a keeper if I had the chance. They need to be returned to the wild. No animal should be locked in a cage, even puppies and kittens. The pet trade is evil! How many animals are killed in the cruel pet trade every year? End the pet trade!!!
damonMemberMany of those animals were born in zoos and are happy while living there/couldn't survive anywhere else. Many species are still on this planet because of zoos.
EklypzMemberSame could have been said for slaves.
PauldoMemberI'm gonna make Damon my slave. :-*
aktifMemberI'd go on rampages every Friday. I'd be like “YEAH, it's Friday, GIT SOME!!!” Then I'd hit happy hour (which this gorilla was doing).
let me explain…
Since gorillas don't get served at bars (are you kidding, its a gorilla), they have to get their jollys any way they can.
Well one day Coco realized that if it freaks out, bites people and breaks shit (which they looove doing) that he gets pumped full of high grade sedative. Eventually it got so out of hand, that other animals were starting to get addicted, and exude the same behaviours to get more of this precious sedative. The zoos didn't know what to do to cover the cost of lost admission profits. Many ideas were heard, some crazy ones even worked for a bit. Like the scheme to make up profits by airing all of the incidents of these Benzo addicted animals fiending and killing for their next fix. I believe there were several specials made using this grusome. I recall the name “When Animals Attack” (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and the Christmas special).
The zoos have known about this for a while but have done a good job about containing media coverage.
To this day there is no treatment program that is effective for these Benzo addicted gorillas and other animals.
Sad, no?
:'(
PauldoMemberThat's a very interesting theory, Nick. ;D
aktifMembertheory ? ???
thefixerMemberThis supports my proposal that we need to arm wildlife to the teeth.
Until Mr. Crow and Mrs. Raccoon have guns, until Mr. and Mrs. John Q. Chimp have their very own hand grenades, the evolutionary arms race is unbalanced.
I will not be happy until every chirping starling and furry little chipmunk going about their merry way, can rain death upon us from the sky and leafy trees. I will not sleep peacefully until every playful beaver and industrious penguin can plot our painful demise.
EklypzMemberSupport Primate rights!!!!
PauldoMembernon-human enhancement?
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