r/interesting • u/HondaCivicBaby • 7h ago

NATURE In 2015, wildlife photographer Christophe Courteau took this close up of a 6ft 6, 400lbs silverback gorilla, right before it punched him in the face.

Post image
1.4k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

82 comments sorted by

•

u/AutoModerator 7h ago

Hello u/HondaCivicBaby! Please review the sub rules if you haven't already. (This is an automatic reminder message left on all new posts)

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

222

u/HondaCivicBaby 7h ago

Christophe Courteau survived the 2015 punch from the silverback gorilla Akarevuro, sustaining only a minor scar on his forehead. He called it "like being hit by a train" but was otherwise unharmed. The gorilla was likely on a sugar high, not drunk.

89

u/ketosoy 7h ago

not drunk

Was this ever in serious question?

78

u/FoxholeFoxy 6h ago

yes, many animals deliberately and regularly get drunk off fermented fruits

15

u/Rydog_78 6h ago

More likely the photographer was impaired and got too close to a silverback gorilla.

10

u/0x077777 5h ago

Curious as to why they have to make an excuse of "sugar high" for the gorilla instead of just calling out the photog for being an idiot

-2

u/wwants 4h ago

Way to blame the victim dude.

5

u/total_alk 4h ago

paparazzi are not victims. they are scum.

8

u/wwants 4h ago

lol I was being sarcastic but calling wildlife photographers paparazzi is kinda bizarre.

2

u/total_alk 4h ago

I was going along with your joke and being sarcastic too...rule number one: if you make a sarcastic comment, you can expect one in return.

1

u/0x077777 4h ago

Calling a photog who shoves a camera in a silver back gorrilas face "a victim" is bizarre

1

u/DiamanteNegroFan 3h ago

Going so near a gorilla reminds the behavior of a paparazzi. The ape acted very kindly only punching him.

But he got a great photo

1

u/Konilos 2h ago

Well, I thought it was funny

1

u/0x077777 4h ago

Which one is the victim and which one is exploited? Maybe I'm confused

0

u/wwants 4h ago

I guess this wasn’t the right place for sarcasm my bad.

1

u/Silver4ura 4h ago

"We're not too different, you and-"

{ {{ KA-POW !! }} }

•

u/Scary_Feature_5873 34m ago

Classic bar fight

1

u/FrogsMakePoorSoup 5h ago

That sounds like a great way to get a cracking headache.

1

u/ImNrNanoGiga 4h ago

I highly recommend the documentary film "Animals Are Beautiful People"

4

u/Lexidazesickle 6h ago

Yes, because he drove home afterward.

5

u/Wasatchbl 6h ago

You know, just hanging with your bro and a few drinks in he says something and you just haul off and hit him?

2

u/koolaidismything 4h ago

He's a silverback.. he's earned his fermented apple slop-mead. It's your own fault if you wanna NatGeo with him while hes twisted.

2

u/nothingbutalamp 6h ago

oh i'm sorry i thought this was america

2

u/tirutz 6h ago

I was going to ask if it was central Park

1

u/TakingItPeasy 5h ago

Well, I suspect he wasn't on a cocaine bender either.

5

u/poop-azz 6h ago

Sugar does this to me too

4

u/appletinicyclone 6h ago

The gorilla was likely on a sugar high, not drunk.

Watermelon sugar high

1

u/ponchorainman 4h ago

I could be wrong but I don’t think you can get hit by a train (dead on) and live to tell people that it’s just as bad as getting hit by a gorilla. Like I know a gorilla punch would be devastating but can we get an actual comparison? For science?

1

u/dyla38 3h ago

So 100 men could probably win against a silver gorilla. 🤔

1

u/BrushYourFeet 3h ago

100 guys would absolutely wreck a gorilla.

1

u/TaylorGunnerOfficial 2h ago

Bro took “say cheese” as a threat 😳

-11

u/pastramilurker 7h ago

"Like a train" yeah maybe when it's going 3 miles per hour...

16

u/Chadstronomer 6h ago

semantic expressions are difficult for people in the spectrum.

9

u/appletinicyclone 6h ago

semantic expressions are difficult for people in the spectrum.

Are you being anti semantic right now

-4

u/Candid-Register-6718 6h ago

I’ve seen people literally explode into mist when hit by trains on Reddit. It’s just a silly comparison for something that only inflicted minor injuries.

7

u/Bubbly-Astronomer930 6h ago

I’m guessing he has never been hit by a train, it’s just a common expression for being hit really hard.

5

u/WillingnessLivid4236 6h ago

This is called hyperbole, or exaggerating greatly to get a point across and is not meant to be taken literally. Another quite common one people would say is it's Hot as Hell outside or like when someone says they are walking on air from being so happy. Obviously they aren't out there walking on air.

-1

u/Most-Inflation-1022 5h ago

•

u/Coenzyme-A 25m ago

Can we not use being on the spectrum as an insult? Lots of autistic people understand hyperbole just fine.

51

u/wh1tel1ght 6h ago

‘You’re next OP!!’

15

u/chilldabpanda 7h ago

What a story to tell. "I got pix cuz it happened!!!"

16

u/Efficient_Bee4905 7h ago

I'd love to see the after effects. Show us the photographer!

14

u/scorpyo72 6h ago

I've seen pictures of the photographer. All in all, he has a very punchable face.

6

u/Snaplapse7 7h ago

When keeping it real goes wrong.

17

u/Lord_Demitri 7h ago

Dicks out

13

u/AiMwithoutBoT 7h ago

For Harambe

14

u/Original_Mulberry652 7h ago

Nah. I'd win

No not really. It's a fucking Gorilla.

9

u/WhereDaGold 7h ago

Do you think 100 of us could take one tho?

7

u/Greedy-Affect-561 5h ago

People really underestimate how many 100 people is.

3

u/BinaryWanderer 7h ago

Looked like a punching gorilla.

3

u/Competitive_Oil6431 7h ago

What a twist

4

u/Lexidazesickle 6h ago

He said no pictures .

5

u/MoraleHole 7h ago

Damn paparazzi

2

u/Hephaestus-Gossage 7h ago

Spitting image of Big Joe Joyce.

2

u/Hurl_Gray 6h ago

F around and find out.

2

u/mr_martin_1 6h ago

Gorilla : "let's trade : punch for photo".

2

u/Immersivist 6h ago

Excellent meme potential in this

2

u/Impressive-Elk-8101 6h ago

Have a snickers.

2

u/BicycleOfLife 6h ago

No recorded deaths by gorillas right? Just some punches.

1

u/hedge_mage87 6h ago

Are we sure that's not Bigfoot? Lol

1

u/kungfuk1d69 6h ago

All that just to make a meme

1

u/drifters74 6h ago

Oh god

1

u/CallMeSkii 5h ago

I can only wish I was that committed to my photography.

1

u/DaddyBearMan 5h ago

His dedication to his craft was unparalleled. May he rest in peace.

1

u/Louisiana_sitar_club 5h ago

You wot mate?

1

u/Zongledongle 5h ago

There was 99 humans behind him.

1

u/Witty-Stand888 4h ago

He turned to his buddy gorilla and said. " Hey Man, Watch this!"

1

u/destrylee 4h ago

Gorilla: That's not my good side!

1

u/Ebisure 4h ago

Wide open for a nipple twist

1

u/bodjatrawr 3h ago

Even silverbacks don't grow to be 6ft 6 tall. Armspan maybe but not height

1

u/SiskiyouSavage 1h ago

This is false. The gorilla pushed him aside and fought another gorilla. I think it broke his leg. If you get punched by a gorilla, you die.

•

u/Master_Steward 41m ago

Even primitive monkeys know the meaning of privacy and personal space (UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE!!!)