A silverback gorilla named Kumbuka sparked an armed police response after escaping his enclosure at ZSL London Zoo on 13 October. The 184kg (29st) alpha male made an “opportunistic” exit through two unlocked doors into a corridor where a keeper was working, the zoo said.
Professor David Field, the ZSL’s zoological director, said Kumbuka was kept calm by the member of staff, with whom he had a “close bond”. Armed police were called to the central London attraction and visitors were evacuated when the alarm was raised.
An in-house investigation revealed that after entering the zookeeper area, Kumbuka drank five litres of undiluted blackcurrant squash before being tranquillised and moved back to safety. Professor Field said the incident was “less dramatic than some would have you believe”, noting that no locks were broken and Kumbuka did not smash any windows.
The escape began after Kumbuka was called into his enclosure for dinner shortly after 5pm. He found one door unlocked and a second door unsecured, leading him to encounter the zookeeper. The keeper talked calmly to Kumbuka while removing himself from the area, allowing staff to raise the alarm and contain the gorilla.
Professor Field added that the human error which facilitated the escape was rare and that automated security systems posed a “greater” risk due to potential mechanical failure.
