The video was captured by a nearby person at the zoo and shown as a segment on Good Morning LA. It begins with the man coming close to the Orangutan’s enclosure, where the animal grabs the bottom of his shirt. The man tries to back away but the strong Orangutan isn’t about to let him off that easy. Another person comes to his aid but the two are still unable to get the Orangutan to release the man. The great ape holds onto his shirt, leg, and feet as the man tries to get away without hurting himself or the animal. The Orangutan reached through the bars of his cage to grab the man, using both hands and feet to get ahold of him. The man even had to steady himself using the upper bars as the Orangutan lifted him off his feet. Orangutans are strong and this one had no problem lifting the grown man. “Can you believe they can actually lift 500 pounds?” asked the news commentator.
Give Wild Animals Their Space
According to the segment, the man “hopped a fence at an Indonesian zoo and started taunting the animal.” Remember, always follow the posted signs and guidance of zoo staff to keep yourself and the animals safe. Zoo enclosures are designed with safety and wellbeing in mind. Hopping the fence to get a closer look is not a good idea. “I imagine [he’s] very scared,” said the news commentator. But she was speaking about the orangutan, not the man who stepped over the barrier. Keep in mind that animals in zoos are still wild animals. They can feel territorial over their space, food, and safety. When people come too close, they react just like they would in the wild. In this case, it was to control the man by keeping him right where the orangutan wants him.
