A viral video circulated on Tuesday that featured a man being attacked by an orangutan — through the bars of a cage at the zoo.
The video shows a man in a white short-sleeved t-shirt approaching the cage with his arms outstretched as though he was reaching for the animal — and that was when things took a sudden and dramatic turn.
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“Aah, aah, no, no!” the man could be heard shouting as the orangutan’s arms shot out from between the bars and grabbed ahold of his shirt, pulling him toward the bars as he tried to resist. Another man approached to try to help, getting swatted by the ape as he got close.
While the second man attempted to get a good grip on the first, the orangutan continued to slap at both, forcing them to retreat and try again as they attempted to push it back or break its grip.
The orangutan then used both hands to pull on the shirt until it could reach the man’s leg, using its legs to grip the bars for leverage. Once the ape had a solid grip on the man’s leg, it bear-hugged the leg for a moment before lifting the man off the ground, turning him until he was almost horizontal.
Some suggested that the man should have attempted to get out of the shirt rather than attempting to pull it from the orangutan’s grip.
“He can have that f***ing shirt,” @Druski2Funny tweeted in response to the video.
@kiradontmiss agreed: “I would’ve took [sic] my shirt off so fast … he can have that s**t.”
“That’s a strong a** shirt he wearing,” @HaHaDavis added, noting his surprise that even after apparently exceptional strain, the t-shirt had not ripped.
The fact that the ape had been able to get a good grip on the man and hold on — even as the other man attempted to help free him — was less surprising, as the average orangutan is much stronger than a human.
According to wildlifeboss.com, an orangutan is approximately five to seven times as strong as a human – and can lift up to 500 pounds. Though the average orangutan only stands about four to five feet tall, they have a reach of seven to eight feet.