Rumors that a gorilla got loose and was running amok forced a zoo in Virginia to put residents minds at ease — by telling them they have nothing to fear because they have no gorillas in captivity, according to reports.
The Virginia Zoological Park lost power on Tuesday night, and not long after, rumors started circulating online that the electricity shortage left a gorilla’s enclosure unlocked.
People even reported seeing a gorilla on the loose, lending credence to the scuttlebutt.
“We heard talk of an escaped gorilla, but we think it may have just been [the zoo’s mascot] ZooSquatch spotted on his daily run,” the zoo posted to Facebook.
“But don’t worry, he has made it back to the Zoo and our keepers want you to know that all of our animals are safe and accounted for (except for gorillas… because we don’t have those).”
Officials said a real escape would’ve been followed by the immediate issuance of a warning.
“Just a friendly reminder, while these hoaxes can be silly, you can rest assured that the Virginia Zoo has extensive safety measures and protocols in place to keep our animals and community safe,” the zoo’s Facebook post continued.
“Should there ever be a real animal escape from our facility, a formal statement will be issued by our spokesperson to all local media, as well as on our Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and website for the safety of our neighbors!”
The post Virginia zoo with no gorillas in custody forced to deny rumors of escaped gorilla appeared first on New York Post.
