A video of two Fort Worth Zoo zookeepers is going viral after the pair found themselves in an enclosure with a 34-year-old silverback gorilla.
The video shows a male gorilla named Elmo suddenly running back into his enclosure with the two zookeepers still inside. One zookeeper is able to quickly make it back outside of the gorilla habitat and hide behind a door as Elmo knocks over a bin of food. The other zookeeper had to wait out Elmo from the other side of a tree in the enclosure until she was able to sprint toward the door and close it from the other side.
The viral TikTok video was posted by a former Fort Worth Zoo security member named Ben under the account @Ben306069. The post has now reached over 19 million views. Filming from the visitors' side of the habitat glass, the video’s audio reveals the patrons' reaction, as many gasp and others begin to pray.
“God protect her. God, animals obey the sound of your voice,” one woman can be heard saying.
@ben306069 Shocking moment two keepers where left in an enclosure with Elmo a male silverback at the fort worth zoo #shocking #fortworthzoo #silverback #scary #zoo #zookeeper #gorilla #fyp #fortworth #elmothegorilla #exposed #coverup ♬ original sound - Ben306069
Ben told Fox News Digital that he was the “responding security officer” and posted a follow-up video this afternoon. In the update, Ben said the video is from Oct. 23, 2023, and that the two zookeepers and Elmo were OK after the incident. Ben answered some frequently asked questions in the comments, including why tranquilizer darts were not used in this situation.
“As security officers, we don’t carry them, that’s going to be up to vet staff because they have to mix it according to animal body weight and the animal itself,” Ben said. “I know that was a common thing that was brought up, is that we could have just tranquilized it. We could have, [but] if we would have waited that long, it would have put the keepers at more risk.”
Ben also said that the keepers did train for unfortunate situations like this. He explained that Elmo was able to get back into the enclosure because a lock was left unsecured and the gorilla was able to open the cage that led into the exhibit while the keepers were doing a routine feeding. Out of respect for the zookeepers, Ben did not share their names but said that both of them and Elmo are still at Fort Worth Zoo.
At the end of his video, Ben also addressed comments saying that “zoos are bad” due to the lack of safety for both animals and staff, and he defended the fact that without zoos, many of the species there would be extinct.
“[Zoos] are a major player in conservation efforts across the world,” Ben said. “The Fort Worth Zoo especially donates a lot of time, money and research toward conservation efforts. […] Most of these animals were born and raised in captivity, so their safest option is being at the zoo so y’all can enjoy them as a continued species.”
Fort Worth Zoo has not yet responded to the Observer for comment.
