Horrifying moment visitors to Perth Zoo began screaming after an orangutan’s brutal act inside its enclosure
A chilling moment as Perth Zoo visitors screamed after an orangutan’s brutal act in its enclosure
Shocking footage has emerged of a possum being thrown from an enclosure by an orangutan at a zoo, as visitors screamed at the brutal act.
Patrons watched in horror as the possum, which appeared to have found its way to the orangutan ‘tree house’ at the top of the enclosure, was brutally thrown out by the ape at Perth Zoo.
Video of the incident shows the possum flying through the air before falling into another room.
An orangutan shocked onlookers after throwing a possum (pictured) from its enclosure at Perth Zoo
‘Oh my God!’ you hear a visitor say in the background of the clip.
After chasing away the intruder, the orangutan nonchalantly jumps to the front of the tree house and continues climbing to the top.
A video of the confrontational incident was posted on Reddit by one of the visitors on Saturday.
“Orangutan at Perth Zoo launches a possum,” the post read.
The user who posted the video revealed what led to the orangutan’s brutal act.
“He was thrown into another enclosure with two orangutans,” they said.
(The orangutan) first threw the possum on the ground, then chased it up the poll (sic) and started poking it with a stick.”
The video was quickly flooded with comments from some who highlighted the funnier side of the orangutan act, despite its brutality.
“Damn, that looked like an Olympic-level discus throw,” said one user.
“This is horrifying and I can’t stop laughing,” wrote another.
“That was personal,” wrote another.
Other users, however, were more sympathetic to the possum’s plight.
“Can you please stop joking!!!” wrote one.
“Oh poor possum!” wrote another.
A zoo visitor who witnessed the orangutan’s brutal act revealed that the monkey (pictured) had poked the possum with a stick moments earlier, before throwing the marsupial into another orangutan enclosure.
A Perth Zoo spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the possum was spotted after it was thrown away.
“Our animal experts confirmed that this possum took advantage of the cozy, warm orangutan nest during the cooler weather, and on this occasion the orangutan was alarmed to find an unknown occupant in their bed,” the spokesperson said.
“Rest assured, the possum was chased away after it was released. It is a very robust species.’
The spokesperson explained that possums often find their way into orangutan enclosures, which are built on higher ground.
“The habitat of orangutans is an outdoor environment, and possums, which like orangutans also live at altitude, are known to live in above-ground areas,” the spokesperson said.
‘Although every effort is made to prevent them from entering, the sheer altitude poses some challenges and sometimes the orangutans themselves drive away an opossum.’