A Gorilla that escaped his enclosure at London Zoo has been recaptured.

The zoo was put on lock-down for several hours after 18-year-old Kumbuka escaped from his enclosure on Thursday afternoon.

Members of the public were evacuated or locked inside buildings as armed police were called to the attraction and keepers searched for the animal.

London Metropolitan Police have confirmed the gorilla was eventually recaptured after being subdued by zoo keepers using a tranquiliser dart.

London Zoo said Kumbuka is now 'awake and well.'

Earlier the zoo told Sky News it was "managing an incident" and a video emerged on social media appearing to show armed police roaming the grounds.

@SkyNewsBreak lock in at London Zoo - Gorilla on the loose? pic.twitter.com/X9ukqgrI9o

— hannah (@hannahod) October 13, 2016

Scotland Yard released a statement saying it was called to the zoo in Regent's Park just after 3pm.

Zoo visitor Rob Hogan told Sky News he saw a "big male" gorilla throw himself at a glass window moments after he and other people took pictures of the animals in their enclosure.

Mr Hogan said no-one had used a camera flash and the ape "looked perfectly fine" and "all was dandy" before it ran towards the glass.

He said it was about 4-5ft away when it launched itself at the window in what he described as a sort of "belly flop."

He said the glass shook and the creature made a "loud boom" noise, adding his heart was racing.
The ape then sat back down, clasped his hands and "all seemed calm."

Mr Hogan and the group he was with were later told by staff to wait in the reptile house as they were “running a drill.”

The group was evacuated around 20 minutes later and Mr Hogan said there were “lots of police officers” in the vicinity.

The incident comes just months after the gorilla Harambe was shot dead by staff at Cincinnati Zoo after a child fell into the gorilla enclosure.