Owen Taylor, a schoolboy who has a season ticket to the charity-run zoo, was there to capture the stand-off

The mammals flashed their fangs and stood upright as stunned visitors watched shocking fight


It's a scene normally reserved for wildlife documentaries and blockbuster films.

But three adult male gorillas were captured in an astonishing display of animal instinct - as they fought over breakfast at a Devon zoo.

Kicking and hitting one another with their fangs in full view, the mammals stood upright as they carried out their hungry scuffle to the amazement of visitors.

The stand-off was captured by a visiting schoolboy and wildlife enthusiast after keepers tossed vegetables into the animals' enclosure at Paignton Zoo.

The four West Lowland gorillas began fighting over a tomato after keepers tossed food into their enclosure at Paignton Zoo in Devon at breakfast time

The West Lowland gorillas put on an astonishing display as they fought over a tomato at Paignton Zoo, Devon, after keepers tossed fruit into the enclosure

A schoolboy with a season ticket to the zoo - which operates as a charity - was able to capture the astonishing moment using his digital camera

Owen Taylor was watching the West Lowland gorillas pad around their green enclosure when a single ripe tomato was thrown.

Suddenly, three of the four animals started fighting over the fruit, bearing their long teeth and standing upright in a show of aggression.

The 14-year-old, who has a season ticket to the zoo, captured the fight before normal order was restored.

‘I love photographing wildlife and I go to the zoo about twice a week to take pictures of the animals,' he said.

‘On this day I was there when the keepers were throwing food into the gorilla enclosure and it all just kicked off.

‘It was amazing to see and I got some good pictures I think. It is something I would like to make a career of, or perhaps work with animals in some way.

'I'm planning a trip to Exmoor Zoo as well to get some pictures.’

Paignton Zoo, which operates as a charity, is home to five male gorillas - Pertinax, Kivu, Kiondo, N'dowe and Matadi.

The mammals all came to the zoo at different ages, with Pertinax joining in 1997 when he was 16. While all have different personalities, they all like their food as much as each other, keepers say

The mammals - Kivu, Kiondo, N'dowe and Matadi - all have their favourite foods and become excited when keepers toss the first meal of the day into their enclosure

They are part of a breeding programme which encourages adult males to live in a same-sex social group after being separated from their families

But Pertinax, the oldest of the group, was not involved.

A spokesman for the zoo said: 'Having an all male bachelor group is an important part of the breeding programme because when young males grow up they need to leave the family but they also need to live in a social group.

'Youngsters come here to be brought up here in a group and Pertinax is sort of the boss. He's quite laid back but he keeps the younger ones in order.

'The aim is for them is to be good, real genuine gorillas.

'They've all got their favourite foods and when they're first let out in the morning there's a lot of grabbing and running around.

'They all have their quirks and their characters, they're very strong personalities.'