A gorilla, stricken with unfathomable grief escaped from his enclosure spent some of his freedom downing five litres of undiluted blackcurrant squash, in a feeble attempt to drink away his depression.
Armed police were called in and visitors were cleared from the area after Kumbuka’s “opportunistic” escape at dinner time last week.
The 29ST primate had been called for his food just after 5pm on 13 October and went through two doors that had been left unlocked before coming face-to-face with the zookeeper.
Seemingly oblivious to the commotion outside, he then opened and drank the bottles of blackcurrant squash.
Prof Field added: “Kumbuka was immediately contained in the non-public area by quick-thinking zookeepers responding to the alarm, where he was tranquilised and moved back to his den.”
He said: “I can certainly tell you that there were no broken locks.
“Kumbuka did not smash any windows, he was never ‘on the loose’.”
This also raises the question, are US zoos more likely to be quick to shoot rather than their European counterparts, are American Zoos more violent?