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​Monkey Sharpens Rock And Smashes Zoo Enclosure Window

​Monkey Sharpens Rock And Smashes Zoo Enclosure Window

So monkeys can craft shivs from rocks now? Great

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

A monkey has been caught on film smashing the window of its zoo enclosure with a rock it had sharpened.

Zoos are usually a pretty safe space to experience animals - whether you're cooing at the baby meerkats or standing in awe before a pride of lions that could rip you to shreds in seconds, there's always a fence or glass panel between you and any danger.

Well, that's unless the animal has somehow managed to sharpen a rock so that it can bash it against the window of its enclosure, completely shattering the glass - as this crafty creature did.

The video of the amazing (but slightly unnerving) stunt went viral after it was shared online, amassing more than 17 million views.

The caged monkey was filmed at the Zhengzhou Zoo in Central China's Henan Province on 20 August.

While it's not clear if anything had triggered the animal's actions, the zoo's resident Colombian white-faced capuchin (cebus capucinus) could be seen standing near the glass wall holding the big rock with both hands, before it started to repeatedly hit the window with the sharpened object.

A white-faced capuchin at a zoo in Germany.
PA

Visitors watched on in shock as the monkey broke the enclosure's boundary, shattering the glass of the display wall and making the entire pane of glass crack.

Sounds like the beginnings of a Planet of the Apes style uprising, if ever I've heard one.

Mind you, the incident may have sufficiently freaked out tourists, but the little monkey was also spooked by its own strength, running off frightened in the opposite direction.

Tourist Mr Wang recalled: "The monkey was sharpening the stone, then it started hitting it on the glass.

"The monkey scared itself away, but it came back to take another look and even touched it."

The monkey picks up the rock and begins smashing it against the glass.
AsiaWire

Zhengzhou Zoo staff member Tian Shuliao told local media: "This monkey is unlike other monkeys. This one knows how to use tools to break walnuts.

"When we feed walnuts to other monkeys, they only know to bite it.

"But it had never hit the glass before though. This is the first time. It's toughened glass, so it would never have got out.

"After it happened, we picked up all the rocks and took away all its 'weapons'."

He explained the glass would be replaced and that the zoo would be increasing patrols to ensure no animals attempt to escape in the future.

So I guess it looks like monkeys can craft shivs out of rocks now? Cool. Not concerning at all...

Featured Image Credit: AsiaWire

Topics: News, Animals, monkey