Terrifying moment Fort Worth gorilla Elmo chases two zoo keepers around enclosure
- Video shows two trapped women running as the beast gives chase
- Female zoo keepers were in the gorilla enclosure when an animal attacked them at the Fort Worth Zoo
- Zoo visitors watch in horror and begin to pray for the zoo keepers
This is the moment two female zoo keepers were chased around a gorilla enclosure at the Fort Worth Zoo by a 34-year-old Silverback.
It shows a zoo worker desperately trying to outdo the Silverback chasing her in a TikTok clip shared online on Thursday.
The angry gorilla knocks over a container of food while chasing the staffer, who is hiding behind a door in the enclosure.
Visitors to the Texas facility recorded the women’s attempts to flee when the incident occurred in October.
Afraid of the women, people in the crowd began to watch and pray in horror.
A female zoo keeper at the Fort Worth Zoo is on the run from a male silverback gorilla that attacked her after she entered his indoor enclosure in October
The male gorilla is said to have been startled when he saw the two keepers and attacked them
‘Oh my God. God help her, God help her, God help her,” one woman can be heard saying.
‘God protect her. God, animals obey the sound of your voice.”
You can hear other zoo visitors gasping and joining in asking for divine intervention on behalf of the women.
“Every day, the zookeepers move the gorilla troop to their indoor habitat so that the keepers can place the animals’ lunch in their outdoor habitat,” but that did not happen that day, the zoo told DailyMail.com
‘Due to an error by the keeper, staff entered the garden, not knowing that the silverback was still in its habitat.’
The staff’s presence startled Elmo, the male silverback, a zoo spokeswoman added.
Elmo the gorilla arrived at the zoo several years ago
Frightened zoo visitors watched in horror as zoo staff calmly made their way to safety after the gorilla charged towards them
The Fort Worth Zoo confirms that no one was injured as a result of the incident
‘The zookeepers work with and train these animals every day. “Thanks to their knowledge and expertise, they were able to calmly navigate the situation and leave the property safely,” she says.
The second staffer hid behind a tree while the gorilla watched her, and stood back.
Eventually the gorilla retreated and the second zoo keeper was able to run to safety behind the closed door where the first woman was hiding.
According to nonprofit Gorilla SSP, Elmo is a 34-year-old gorilla who arrived in the Lone Star State a few years ago.
‘Originally born at the Buffalo Zoo and not on Sesame Street, Elmo made his way to Texas to lead the troops there’, in 2022 message from the group reveals.
‘After having son Gus almost seven years ago, he has been busy teaching him how to be a great silverback like him! We hope your day was as special as you are and that your treats are as great as the state you live in!’
Elmo became the father of a daughter last month.
The newborn JameelaSwahili word beautiful,” was born prematurely and is the first primate born via C-section at the Fort Worth Zoo.