Zoo gorillas escape enclosure, and find where the treats are stored

A brief commotion broke out Thursday morning at the Como Park Zoo in St. Paul, Minnesota, when a group of three gorillas escaped out of their habitat after the door was accidentally left unlocked.

The male gorillas, led by a 450-pound male named Virgil, left their enclosure shortly before the opening time for the zoo itself, but never actually got out of a gorilla-proof area. The public was kept in the zoo's conservatory building for safety.

The other two gorillas returned to their home in about 20 minutes. Virgil, however, continued on for a full 50 minutes before he also went back. During his brief wandering, though, Virgil found the ultimate prize: The closet where his treats are kept, which he then proceeded to raid.

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"You have a pretty good size gorilla that was wrecking the enrichment closet," said senior zookeeper Allison Jungheim.

Check out the report from the local ABC affiliate, shown below. --Eric Kleefeld