If you were anywhere near the San Diego Zoo this weekend, chances are you heard it—or felt it. A massive thud, like an earthquake, followed by gasps, screams, and the unmistakable sound of thick glass giving way under 400 pounds of raw muscle.
That was Denny, a ten-year-old western lowland gorilla, who turned a quiet Saturday into a heart-pounding moment straight out of a nature documentary.
Caught on video and now burning up across social media, Denny’s sudden charge at the Gorilla Forest habitat’s glass barrier left zoo visitors stunned—and one of three protective glass layers shattered. Witnesses say it was terrifying. One woman said it felt like an earthquake at first.
Another noted that had Denny hit the same spot again, the outcome might have been very different. That’s no exaggeration—this is a creature built for power, and you don’t want to be on the other side of that kind of force.
Eyewitness video captured the heart-stopping moment a gorilla rushed the glass at a viewing enclosure in San Diego Zoo, leaving it cracked and startling bystanders. pic.twitter.com/uUSl1E7Zu6
— ABC News (@ABC) October 14, 2025
Now here’s the part that really throws people: zoo experts say this kind of behavior isn’t unusual. Not only that, it’s normal. According to primatologists, adolescent male gorillas often go through phases where they express themselves in, let’s say, “bold” ways—charging, dragging things, putting on displays of dominance. It’s how they interact with their world and show strength. And yes, it can be dramatic. But for gorillas like Denny, it’s just another Saturday.
Still, the timing raises questions. Denny recently lost his older brother Maka, a 30-year-old silverback who passed away unexpectedly from a cardiac event in August. Was this a response to stress? Grief?
Overstimulation from zoo guests pressing in, tapping the glass, taking photos, and maybe pushing too close? Experts suggest it could be a combination of factors. As one visitor put it, “We need to be respectful of their space.”
In front of people at the San Diego Zoo, a gorilla broke through one of three layers of glass that separates them from visitors. The zoo said the gorilla habitat will remain closed for now until the glass can be replaced.
WATCH https://t.co/FymyQ6Br8M pic.twitter.com/SS1gbyUCFI
— FOX 5 San Diego (@fox5sandiego) October 13, 2025
After the glass break, zoo staff moved fast. Security was on-site immediately, Denny and his companion were relocated as a precaution, and officials confirmed that only one layer of the multi-layered safety glass had been compromised.
Bottom line: nobody got hurt, Denny’s fine, and the zoo’s reviewing the situation. But for everyone there, it was a jaw-dropping reminder that even in captivity, wild animals are still wild. They deserve our attention—but also our respect. And maybe a few more feet of space.
