Gorilla Nearly Busts Through Glass Window At San Diego Zoo In Terrifying Scene

Taking place at the San Diego Zoo, a western lowland gorilla smashed a tempered glass panel while visitors were present, according to a zoo spokesperson.

Denny, the 10-year-old gorilla, cracked a layer of a three-layered tempered glass panel Saturday at the gorilla forest habitat of the San Diego Zoo. (RELATED: Connecticut Dog Abandoned, Tied To Fence During Strong Nor’easter Storm)

San Diego State University anthropology professor Dr. Erin Riley told CBS 8 San Diego that there could be several reasons why the western lowland gorilla acted out.

“Gorillas, particularly males, will often do what we call ‘charging displays,’ as a kind of an act of like showing off,” said Riley. “What I don’t know, of course, since I wasn’t there, is whether or not there was something that kind of provoked that display behavior. One of the things that gorillas actually don’t like is to be stared at directly in the eyes, and that’s not something that zoo visitors always understand.”

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Denny could have also been having fun and playing around, Dr. Riley told CBS 8 San Diego. Riley also said, however, that with the gorilla‘s attention being towards the glass, visitors could have made him feel uncomfortable.

“Given that it was directed towards the window, which is where the visitors are, I don’t know if they were feeling threatened, if there were a lot of people there at the time that made Denny feel a little bit threatened,” said Riley.

According to the San Diego Zoo per CBS 8, Denny was not hurt and the gorillas will be taken care of behind the scenes until they replace the panel. No other information, including what officially caused the incident, is currently available.