Kiondo, Kivu and N’Dowe, three gorillas, aged 15 and 14 respectively went on a rampage in Paignton Zoo in Devon tearing out water pipes and ripping up electrical wiring after breaking out of their enclosure.
The trio, each weighing between 150-200kgs, somehow found themselves in a secure corridor in the off-show dens and decided to set off on a vandalism spree.
Panicked animal staff and vets managed to rush to the scene and after spending a night in the corridor, the animals were shot with tranquilizer darts and taken back to their enclosure.
A spokesman insisted that the gorillas were behind two layers of security at all times and there was never any possibility of them escaping into public areas.
Even though experts tried to tranquilise the three primates, they were not able to dart all three of them together, so no staff were able to enter the area.
Finally they decided to quit for the night and allow the animals to distress.
On Saturday morning, things were resolved when two of the gorillas were darted and one was brought to the far side of their island with food, meaning a door could be closed, separating the gorillas from the corridor and getting things back to normal.
