Thursday, June 9, 2022 – A zoo visitor has apologised for taunting an orangutan minutes before it attacked him in Indonesia.
Hasanal Arifin, 19, climbed over the fence and filmed himself taunting the primate at the Kasang Kulim Zoo in Riau province on June 6.
The orangutan became furious when the teenager held out his arms towards the cage and it attacked.
The orangutan grabbed Hasanal’s t-shirt and the shocked teen can be heard crying out for help.
The furious animal tried to pull Hasanal inside the cage and even grabbed him by the leg.
An onlooker tried to intervene but the primate brushed them away.
Staff were alerted to the incident and Hasanal was kicked out of the zoo.
Hasanal later claimed he thought he was going to die.
Hasanal said: “I only made the video to play with the orangutan. I love all animals and I wasn’t teasing it to show off.
“I was shocked when it grabbed me. The monkey’s reflexes were so quick. It was unthinkable, I was not prepared. I thought it would kill me. I really thought I would die.
“The monkey’s hands were so strong. My legs were really hurting and he left scratches and bruises on them.
“I remember being trapped. It felt like a long time. I was just relieved when I escaped. But since then I have had a lot of problems because of the video. I have received a lot of abuse.
“Now I just want to move on from the incident because it has caused me so much trouble.”
Zoo officers later ordered Hasanal to make a public apology.
Speaking in the video, he said: “I want to apologise for what has happened and feel that I am endangering myself and the wildlife and causing a lot of harm to other parties.
“And I promise not to do that again because I have violated the restrictions that have been determined and regulated and warned by the zoo.
“And for those who saw my viral video, I want the video to be a lesson for all of us to obey the rules that have been determined.
“I want to apologise to my parents for making my mother and father disappointed.
“And for the people I have harmed, I want to apologise and I feel guilty for doing things that are against the rules.
“I appeal to all of the public and friends who saw my video, to not to do what I did. And stick to the rules.”
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