Watch: A terrifying tug-of-war after orangutan attacks man through cage. 11 million video views

A viral video circulating on social media has captured the moment an orangutan attacked a man through the bars of its cage. The video, filmed at an Indonesian zoo, shows the ape dragging the man closer by grabbing hold of his legs and refusing to let go. What ensued was a terrifying tug-of-war that has since gone massively viral online, racking up nearly 12 million views on Twitter.

The video opens with the man standing close to the orangutan’s cage, his arms outstretched. Moments later, the animal reaches out through the bars of its cage and grabs hold of the man’s T-shirt.

Local news website riau.suara.com identified the man as one Hasan Arifin. Arifin reportedly visited the Kasang Kulim Zoo in Riau, Indonesia, on June 6. He broke zoo rules by climbing over the fence that separates the orangutan enclosure from zoo visitors – all to get a video. The 19-year-old learned the hard way why it was a foolish decision.

Footage shows Arifin screaming as the ape, named Tina, grabbed his leg and pulled him closer. Another person who was with him tried to pull Arifin back but to no avail. The video ended with the orangutan holding strong to the man’s leg even as he struggled to get away.
Kasang Kulim Zoo manager Desrizal said the incident occurred while officers were having lunch. Arifin crossed the guardrail despite warning signs advising visitors not to get close to animal enclosures.

"What happened on Monday afternoon, the visitor jumped into the guardrail of the orangutan cage to take a video without the officer's permission," Desrizal said, according to local news website Kompas.