THIS is the terrifying! The moment an angry 29-stone gorilla smashed its way out of an enclosure at London
Zoo after crowds were warned about taunting him – as it was revealed the glass casing may have been cracked before the primate escaped.

Eighteen-year-old male silverback Kumbuka charged at the glass and managed to successfully break it before escaping the enclosure and roaming the north London attraction for a horrifying 90 minutes.

Eyewitnesses told MailOnline they were warned not to look the seven-foot tall gorilla in the eye for fear of agitating him – just minutes before he launched the audacious bid to free himself yesterday afternoon.

Despite the warnings, some visitors were heard shouting at Kumbuka and “egging him on” in the seconds before he charged – in scenes described as “like something out of Jurassic Park.”

Armed police and a force helicopter were scrambled to the scene
and officers – wielding semi-automatic guns – desperately tried to track him
down while visitors were locked away for their own safety.

One zookeeper allegedly told BuzzFeed news: “He’s a f*****g
psycho, that ape. He’s smacked the enclosure glass a couple of times.”

Members of the public were
ordered to retreat to safety and were in lockdown in sites across the zoo –
with many posting pictures from inside a butterfly enclosure and a canteen
area.

Kumbuka was later traced by police and zoo staff and tranquilised
by vets. He is now said to be ‘awake and well’ in his enclosure and the zoo
will reopen today as normal.

A spokesman for London Zoo this morning said Kumbuka was treated
by keepers overnight who stayed to observe him. The zoo said he has returned to
the main enclosure and an investigation was ‘ongoing’.

However, despite the incident being resolved without harm to any
visitors or animals, concerns have been raised about the safety of the gorilla
enclosure.

It has since emerged that zoo visitors had previously warned of
damage to the perimeter glass of the enclosure in the weeks prior to the
incident.