Lifestyle

Dallas Zoo’s Breakdancing Gorilla Catches the Eye of Adoring Fans

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Tony Maples Photography

 

He’s a maniac, maaaaniac, on…the…floor! And he’s dancing like he’s never danced before. Or wait. Maybe this isn’t the first time for Zola to perform a breakdancing routine at the Dallas Zoo. That’s right, Primate Supervisor Ashley Orr recorded the gorilla as he was breakdancing in a play pool at the zoo’s facilities.

According to an interview with the Dallas Morning News, Zola’s thrashing and spinning and breakdancing in a pool are par for the course for this gorilla. In a description on the zoo’s YouTube channel, “ZooTube,” they explain: “There’s a lot more to this behavior than you may think…Enrichment helps enhance the environment and lives of animals like Zola by providing them with mental and physical stimulation to increase natural behaviors. Enrichment can take many forms, but for this spunky great ape, it means playing and spinning in his favorite blue pool!”

And this is nothing new to Zola as evidenced by previous viral videos online showcasing his funkified moves. When he lived at the Calgary Zoo in Alberta, Canada, a 2011 video featuring his unique take on this art form caught the attention of animal lovers around the world. His keeper in Calgary, Garth Irvine, explained in a clip from Discovery that Zola is “…just having a really, really good time. This is the type of play you would see from children.” Good to know. Now, he’s a regular Texas tornado!

Source:

Dallas News