An exuberant gorilla at Werribee Open Range Zoo is challenging the belief that this species dislikes the rain – and he’s making quite a splash doing it.
The 25-year-old silverback, Ganyeka has been caught on keeper cameras lapping up the start to winter.
“We see him rolling around on his back, rubbing the water in his hair and getting it down his shoulders,” African river trail keeper Kristina Sleeth said.
“We know he’s really enjoying it when his toes are curled up in the air too.
Ms Sleeth clarified, while viral videos often show gorillas dramatically avoiding the rain with expressive reactions, their behaviour is not one-size-fits-all.
“Meantime, [Ganyeka’s] brother Yakini, will be the first gorilla to run under a shelter when it rains to hide away.”
Ms Sleeth revealed that Ganyeka’s rainy-day revelry is even more intriguing as he seems to only indulge when no one is watching.
“When the other gorillas are huddled away in sheltered areas, it’s an opportunity for Ganyeka to have the habitat all to himself. It’s just like if you were home alone and you could do whatever you wanted – it’s exciting and he can really just let loose.”
