The video, which has over 81.7 million views at the time of writing, shows Elmo, a 34-year-old silverback gorilla being let out into the enclosure at Fort Worth Zoo with one zookeeper running to the exit.

Elmo stands a few metres away from the door looking at the zookeeper, while the second keeper remains still at the other end of the enclosure.

The zookeeper in the doorway uses a two-way radio to call for help. The second zookeeper was unable to move until Elmo ran far from the doorway, allowing her to bolt to her escape.

A man named Ben told Fox News Digital that he was the “responding security officer” during the incident and posted the video to TikTok.

The incident occurred in October 2023 but was posted in March 2024.

A spokesperson for Fort Worth Zoo told People Magazine: “On October 20, 2023, an incident led to two of our zookeepers sharing space with our 34-year-old silverback gorilla. Thankfully, there was no physical contact between keepers and gorilla; and all staff and animals are safe.”

“Every day, the zookeepers shift the gorilla troop into their indoor habitat so that keepers can place the animals’ lunch in their outdoor habitat. Due to keeper error, staff entered the yard unaware that the silverback was still in its habitat.

“The zookeepers work with and train these animals every day and thanks to their knowledge and expertise, they navigated the situation calmly and were able to exit the yard safely.”

@ben306069 Shocking moment two keepers where left in an enclosure with Elmo a male silverback at the fort worth zoo #shocking #fortworthzoo #silverback #scary #zoo #zookeeper #gorilla #fyp #fortworth #elmothegorilla #exposed #coverup ♬ original sound - Ben306069