Australian Jumps Into Cage, Attacks Gorilla
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MELBOURNE, Australia — A man shouting “I’ve come to kill a gorilla!” jumped into an enclosure at Melbourne Zoo on Monday and attacked a 220-pound female primate before officials stopped him, a zoo spokeswoman said.
The man kicked and punched an adult female, who screamed in fear while protecting itself and a 5-year-old male, spokeswoman Judith Henkey said.
She said the man, who suffered minor injuries from his jump, apparently has a history of mental illness. He was under observation at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
The female gorilla, named Betsy, sustained a small cut on the arm.
The episode ended when a zoo worker enticed the primates into a night pen. The man was locked in another pen until police arrived.
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