Orangutan attacks man at a zoo in shocking viral video

A video of an orangutan grabbing a man through the bars of a cage has caught the eye of 18 million people on Twitter.

The viral video emerged on Tuesday after several Twitter accounts circulated it. In the video, a man is shown approaching an orangutan enclosure with his arms out as if to grab the primate.

What seems like a cute moment between a human and ape suddenly takes a turn for the terrifying as the orangutan, named Tina, quickly grabs the t-shirt of the man and pulls him toward the enclosure.

The man can be seen panicking and yelling while trying to escape Tina's grasp.

Another person tried to assist the man but the orangutan moved its grasp from the t-shirt to the man's leg, making it difficult for him to run.

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The two men tried to hit and kick the primate, seemingly in the hopes it would let go, but the orangutan held on tightly.

The video ends before the situation is resolved.

According to reports from news outlet Suarariau.id the video was filmed on Monday at the Kasang Kulim Zoo in Riau, Indonesia.

The man in the video was identified as 19-year-old Hasan Arifin who violated the zoo's rules by trespassing over the guard rail at the enclosure.

Arifin later apologized to the Kasang Kulim Zoo, saying: "I apologize to the Kasang Kulim Zoo for crossing the fence and I apologize for the viral video."

Managers at the zoo said the orangutans are usually docile but they have looked to leadership to determine what to do next.

Viewers of the viral video poked fun at the encounter.

"Me trying to hold on to last drop motivation left in me to complete my assignments before midnight," a Twitter user joked.

"I’m laughing at how the orangutan just thumps the other dude trying to help lmao," one wrote.

"This is an ad for tshirts that don’t rip, even when you are getting dragged by an orangutan," another Twitter user said.

Orangutans are five to seven times stronger than humans and can lift up to 500 pounds. While they are typically not aggressive toward humans, they can still pose a threat.

The primates are considered one of the most sophisticated and intelligent of the apes. They are currently considered critically endangered.

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