Moment stray shepherd dog is chased by a GORILLA inside zoo enclosure  

Shocking footage shows the moment a dog somehow managed to hop into a gorilla enclosure at the San Diego zoo – and was even chased by one of the primates before being safely removed. 

The incident at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park on Sunday was captured on video by visitors who attempted to call the gorilla by its name to stop it from potentially harming the dog. 

The dog, a year-and-a-half-old male shepherd, could be seen trying to escape Frank the gorilla as families at the zoo hurried to alert the staff. 

‘They just started chasing after him and that was pretty nerve-wracking,’ Robert Robles, who saw the incident unfold, told CBS 8.  

‘A lot of employees showed up from the zoo and they literally kicked us out.’ 

Keepers at the zoo called Frank and another gorilla inside the enclosure to leave the area before the dog was safely removed.

The shepherd, named Mighty Joe Young by the San Diego Humane Society, has been placed on stray hold as the organization attempts to locate its owner, CBS 8 reported. 

A dog was chased by a gorilla before it was safely removed from a San Diego zoo enclosure he had gotten into

The incident at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park on Sunday was captured on video by visitors who attempted to call the gorilla by its name to stop it from potentially harming the dog

The shepherd, named Mighty Joe Young, has been placed on stray hold as the Humane Society attempts to locate its owner

‘Wildlife care specialists successfully recalled the two gorillas out of the habitat so the dog could be removed. Recall training is a part of the regular safety procedures at the Park,’ the San Diego Zoo Safari Park said in a statement. 

The shocking moment the stray shepherd was chased by the gorilla was captured on cellphone footage, with scared visitors screaming in fear as the dog kept running for his safety. 

Once the gorillas were removed from the enclosure by zoo staff, the San Diego Humane Society went inside and rescued the dog. 

Once the gorillas were removed from the enclosure by zoo staff, the San Diego Humane Society went inside and rescued the do

Mighty Joe Young’s owner has yet to be found, but according to CBS 8, many are in line to welcome it home

Rescuer Samantha Clark said the gorilla probably just wanted to scare the dog out of the enclosure, but they worried that the situation would have escalated

‘He just wanted to go out,’ rescuer Samantha Clark told CBS 8. 

‘Nervous, afraid, understandably so,’ Clark said. ‘He was in a new environment with new smells. Obviously, getting chased by a gorilla would make him nervous.’

Clark said the gorilla probably just wanted to scare the dog out of the enclosure, but they worried that the situation would have escalated.   

Mighty Joe Young’s owner has yet to be found, but according to CBS 8, many are in line to welcome it home.