Dog nicknamed ‘Mighty Joe Young’ gets trapped in gorilla enclosure at San Diego zoo

Questions have been raised about how a “domestic” dog was able to get inside the gorilla enclosure at San Diego Zoo Safari Park over the weekend.

One gorilla was seen chasing the dog during the encounter on Sunday afternoon in scenes that alarmed some visitors to the park.

The unharmed dog was eventually removed, the zoo told The Independent in a statement on Tuesday, and no animals, staff or members of the public were harmed.

It does remain unclear how the dog was able to get inside the zoo, however, with at least two dogs thought to have entered the park on Monday.

A video shared with KUSI News reporter Hunter Sowards showed the dog running up and down the gorilla enclosure as onlookers screamed “Oh my God”.

“That thing [a gorilla] is fast”, said a man watching the primate chase the dog.

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said the situation was eventually resolved with the dog being removed from “an employee-only area, not accessible to guests, behind the gorilla habitat.” 

“The dog was successfully removed from the habitat and no Safari Park animals, staff or guests were harmed. The other dog is no longer on Park property.”

The zoo said “wildlife care specialists successfully recalled the two gorillas out of the habitat so the dog could be removed,” and that “Recalling” animals during an encounter like on Sunday are “a part of the regular safety procedures at the Park”.

Members of animal rights non-profit San Diego Humane Society said they were called by the zoo to help retrieve the dog, who was leashed and transferred to a shelter.

“This adventurous dog, nicknamed ‘Mighty Joe Young,’ is now receiving care at our Escondido Campus, and our staff shared that he while did not have a microchip or collar, he is in full health and extremely friendly,” the group said in reference to the 1949 gorilla-focused film “Mighty Joe Young”.

“We’re so grateful to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park staff for helping this lucky dog get to safety, and not fining him for sneaking into the park without a pass!”

The dogs were described as being both “domestic” and strays by the zoo, which is home to around eight gorillas who made headlines last year when several of the endangered species fell ill with Covid-19.