A stray dog snuck into the San Diego Zoo Safari Park on Sunday afternoon, eventually making its way into the gorilla habitat, according to zoo officials.
Video footage shared on social media shows the gorilla and the canine sizing each other up for a few tense moments as onlookers attempted to coax the pup out of the enclosure. Eventually, the dog ran across the enclosure, passing the gorilla, who stood its ground.
Zoo staff noticed and promptly moved the gorilla, allowing officers with the San Diego County Humane Society to safely enter and get the dog out.
Get Southern California news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC LA newsletters.
Recall training is a regular part of park safety procedures, zoo officials wrote in an email to NBC 7 San Diego.
Officials took the pup back to the Humane Society's Escondido Campus while they searched for its owner. The dog has been identified as a male shepherd that has no microchip.
"Animal Caregivers have given the dog a shelter name of 'Mighty Joe Young.' We are so glad no one was hurt," the Humane Society wrote on their Twitter account.
The organization posted an update on the pup Monday morning, assuring concerned citizens of the dog's well-being. They hope the rightful owner will come to take Mighty Joe Young back home.
Veterinarians found a few ticks on the furry friend, giving him flea medicine and vaccines during a checkup at the Escondido Campus later Monday, the San Diego Humane Society wrote on Twitter. Despite being at the doctor's, Mighty Joe Young looked pretty happy about it.
