Updated March 3, 2026, 3:43 p.m. ET
An ape habitat at the Memphis Zoo is temporarily closed after a group of guests taunted the ape, who then broke an interior glass. The moment was captured on camera and has since gone viral.
The bonobo, a great ape, broke the interior pane of the exhibit glass on Feb. 26, the Memphis Zoo said in a statement later that evening.
In the video, the great ape runs towards the glass and bangs its hand on it, causing it to crack. The individual recording screams, then begins laughing with another person looking on. After the glass broke, the ape sat still, appearing to look at the ground, while another ape stood behind them looking on.
See the moment glass shatters in ape exhibit
According to the zoo, the bonobo habitat is made of multiple layers of reinforced safety glass, and it was just the interior pane that was broken during the incident.
“The additional layers remained fully intact, and there was no breach of the habitat,” the zoo said in its Facebook post. “The bonobo was not injured, and no guests were harmed.”
In its statement, the zoo mentioned “disruptive behavior” such as guests striking the glass, shouting at the animals, taunting them, or crowding exhibit barriers as a possible reason for the incident.
“These actions can cause stress for the animals and disrupt their wellbeing,” the zoo wrote. “The safety and wellbeing of our animals, guests, and staff remain our highest priorities.”
The bonobo habitat has been temporarily closed for repairs, the zoo said, adding that the repairs “will require an extended period of time.”
USA TODAY contacted the zoo on March 3 to get more information on the bonobo that broke the interior glass, what happened leading up to the incident, and how long repairs will take for the habitat.
Zoo guest says the group taunting the ape meant no disrespect
The Memphis Zoo’s associate primates curator, Melissa Peterson, told television station WMC-TV that the group of young men who captured the footage looked like they were trying to get the apes to react.
“I think it’s really exciting to get a reaction out of them, so they were seeing what kind of response they would get from the bonobos, and it caused our male bonobo Mobali to slam the glass, and unfortunately, it did break,” Peterson told the outlet.
Josiah Long, one of the guests there that day, told the outlet the group wasn’t trying to be disrespectful.
“We banged on our chests a little bit, not really expecting anything,” he told WMC-TV, adding that one of the apes inched closer to the glass separating them.
“We were in shock so our first reaction was to laugh because that was a crazy experience,” Long told WMC-TV, adding that the group told staff about the incident right away.
Zoo says it’s important to respect animals
Peterson, from the zoo, told WMC-TV she doesn’t blame the teenagers for the glass being broken, but wanted to share a reminder that animals can also get upset when someone is taunting them.
The Memphis Zoo has four bonobos in the habitat, according to the organization’s website. The time it’ll take to repair the custom interior glass will disrupt the daily lives of the animals, the zoo said.
“The bonobos will have limited access to portions of their outdoor habitat, which directly affects their ability to fully utilize their space,” the zoo wrote on Facebook last week. “Disruptive behavior at exhibits does not just damage property. It has meaningful consequences for the animals’ daily routines and wellbeing, which is why respectful conduct is essential.”
Since the incident, the apes have been keeping an eye on workers putting up boards in the habitat and assessing the damage, she said.
“I think it provides them a different kind of stimulation,” Peterson told WMC-TV.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.
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