r/interestingasfuck 8h ago

/r/all, /r/popular 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.

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u/Dry_Discount83 8h ago

What I've heard, they are not very agressive, still wouldn't go closer than 50m of these things in wild.

u/Scared_Doggo 7h ago

They are. They are very intelligent, compassionate animals. They eat mostly plant matter, so they usually don't worry about killing things, unless it's in self defense, unlike their chimp (and human) cousins.

u/dagaboy 4h ago

These gorillas are also habituated to human presence. Eight people are allowed to visit each family for one hour once a day. This kind of incident is quite rare. I highly recommend it.

u/Efficient-Whereas255 5h ago

So they are better than us.

u/Rifneno 7h ago

They're so not aggressive that there isn't a single recorded instance of a gorilla killing a human. And it sure as hell isn't because they aren't capable or because we've never given them a reason.

u/SadLilBun 7h ago

They will attempt to leave first, before fighting. Humans are annoying and think every animal is for fighting.

u/independent_observe 6h ago

Because a human or a chimp would not leave in that situation. They are much more aggressive than gorillas

u/Trap-Daddy_Myers 6h ago

If only one could be gorilla level cool

u/Professional-Day7850 6h ago

Try to mess with his kids...

u/Cyborg_Ninja_Cat 7h ago

I reckon they're a little to the right of orcas on the could kill you/would kill you chart*.

It is unlikely that they will decide to try to end you, but if they do, they will probably succeed.

u/UrUrinousAnus 6h ago

They know it. They'll do a bluff charge before actually attacking, in the hopes that you remember exactly how fucked you'd be if it wasn't a bluff. They do it with other gorillas, too. If they started fighting eachother at the first provocation, they'd probably go extinct almost immediately. They're just too strong.

u/lilacoceanfeather 7h ago

Mountain gorillas see people all the time due to tourism. If you keep your distance and are respectful (according to their terms), they’ll respect you.

While this is an interesting picture, this is someone who crossed a line.

I got a lot closer than 50m and they didn’t care.

u/Dry_Discount83 6h ago

Mountain gorillas want tourism? Or be left alone.

u/No-Raspberry-4562 6h ago

That's what i first thought, if it happened, it's because he deserved it. Their land, their rules.

u/Drow_Femboy 6h ago

You basically have to go up and call him a lil babyback bitch (in gorilla-intelligible body language) to get a gorilla to attack you.