Charging gorilla smashes enclosure glass at San Diego Zoo

Gorilla breaks glass panel at San Diego Zoo

Denny, a 10-year-old western lowland gorilla, shattered one layer of a three-layered tempered glass panel at the San Diego Zoo?s gorilla forest habitat on Saturday.

SAN DIEGO - Visitors at the San Diego Zoo got quite the surprise after a male gorilla charged his habitat and shattered a layer of glass window. 

What we know:

Dramatic video shows the moment the 10-year-old western lowland gorilla named Denny stormed the tempered three-layer glass on Saturday.

Guests can be heard gasping in the background. 

According to the zoo, Denny was not injured. 

Dig deeper:

It's common for male gorillas, especially at this age, to express "these types of behaviors," the zoo told the New York Post. 

"Burst of energy, charging, dragging items or running sideways are all natural (behaviors) for a young male," a zoo spokesperson told the publication.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare characterizes western lowland gorillas, the smallest of the species, as critically endangered because they lose an estimated 2.7% of their population in their home region of Central Africa every year.

What's next:

The zoo said Denny and another gorilla will be cared for "behind the scenes" until the panel is replaced.