Zoo Horror: Shocking Footage Captures the Moment a Massive Gorilla Breaks the Glass Wall of San Diego Enclosure as Terrified Onlookers Watch
A wild gorilla charged at tourists at the San Diego Zoo.
Oct. 14 2025, Published 2:24 p.m. ET
Visitors to the San Diego Zoo almost got too close to the animals on display, RadarOnline.com can report, after a 10-year-old western lowland gorilla nearly broke through a tempered glass panel and into the public areas.
Video of the incident shows terrified guests running for their lives, but online reactions have placed blame on the zoo and on tourists' uncouth behavior.
Denny the Gorilla ran full speed into the enclosure's glass window.
Over the weekend, the gorilla named Denny broke one layer of a three-layered tempered glass panel at the San Diego Zoo's gorilla forest habitat.
Denny can be seen in a video recorded by Emily Holguin running at full speed toward the glass barrier before smashing into it, creating a massive crack. Meanwhile, the response from visitors had Holguin baffled.
"The people who were there when he hit the glass immediately left, and others rushed to get closer, even touching the glass and continuing to record the gorillas," she shared on Instagram.
The Blame Game
Denny shattered one of the planes of glass.
Denny was not injured in the incident, and he and the other gorilla living in the enclosure are being cared for elsewhere while the panel is replaced.
Critics online placed the blame on the zoo guests, with many wondering whether they provoked the wild animal.
"The last few visits I’ve had there in the past year, there have been disrespectful, unruly & clearly uneducated children taunting the animals," one person slammed. "I’ve absolutely stepped in a few times to tell the kids to stop after seeing the parents were completely clueless (or I hate to say, just don’t give a f). Wondering if that was what happened here…"
Another person reasoned: "(Denny) probably hates being gawked at every single day."
Still, one person was amazed at the tourist's response to Denny's grand slam.
"People have zero situational awareness. Instead of backing up or walking away, where the gorilla could potentially run again and break the glass and potentially hurt you and your children, these mouth breathers stand there taking video."
Common Behavior
Tourists flocked to take videos and photos of the aftermath.
Western lowland gorillas are the largest primates in the world, according to the zoo, with adult males weighing up to 500 pounds.
The species is endangered due to deforestation in its central African habitats.
While it's not exactly clear what set Denny off, a spokesperson for the zoo explained: "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."
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Gorilla Madness
Denny and another gorilla in the habitat were removed for their safety as the glass is repaired.
Dr. Erin Riley, an anthropology professor at San Diego State University, told San Diego's CBS8 there are several things that could've riled the animal up.
"Gorillas, particularly males, will often do what we call 'charging displays,' as a kind of an act of like showing off," Riley explained. "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."
