A viral video circulating on social media shows the moment an orangutan attacked a man through the bars of its cage. This zoo visitor will never forget jumping over a zoo fence and taunting an orangutan in front of her face.
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"The visitor wanted to take a video [and] create content without permission," an outraged zookeeper identified only as Ides told the outlet.
"He crossed the safety distance barrier. This is very dangerous and violates the rules. We have already reprimanded the man. Please take the rules seriously."
The video begins with the man standing near the orangutan's cage, arms outstretched. The animal then reaches out through the bars of its cage and grabs the man's T-shirt. The orangutan eventually grabs the teen's legs and nearly flips him.
"This was idiotic, stupid behavior," Ides said. "It also put himself and others in great danger. I have reminded staff to ensure that no visitors have the chance to do this again."
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The man was identified as Hasan Arifin by the local news website riau.suara.com. On June 6, Arifin reportedly paid a visit to the Kasang Kulim Zoo in Riau, Indonesia.
He broke zoo rules by climbing over the fence separating the orangutan enclosure from zoo visitors – all for the sake of filming. The 19-year-old discovered the hard way why it was a bad decision.
Arifin screamed as Tina, the ape, grabbed his leg and pulled him closer.
Arifin, unharmed, was saved by a passerby who immediately alerted staffers and managed to calm the creature down until they arrived.
The prankster was immediately removed from the zoo and chastised by staff. The video ended with the orangutan clinging to the man's leg as he tried to escape.
According to India Times, orangutans are generally non-aggressive toward humans but are thought to be five to seven times stronger.
According to zoo staff, the prankster managed to covertly hop the fence when staffers were on a lunch break.
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“Google people who have been attacked by apes. They are strong enough to rip you to pieces. And they go for your face and your hands first,” commented one self-proclaimed ape experton Reddit. Meanwhile, one sharp-eared Twitter user claimed to have pinpointed the exact moment the distressed teen’s rescuer could be heard passing gas in the clip, declaring “I can’t unhear it.”
“”All things considered, he would have probably have been OK. Orangutans are one of the more docile apes out there. Not one recorded death of a human from an orangutan,” another social media pundit chimed in.
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“This orangutan was clearly agitated, but he didn’t seem to want to do any serious harm from what I could see, but then again I’m no expert.”
Hasan later apologized for his behavior and expressed regret, adding: ‘I apologize to the Kasang Kulim Zoo for crossing the fence, and I apologize for the viral video.’