Gorillas Strike a Selfie Pose with Park Rangers
A photo featuring two gorillas striking a selfie pose with anti-poaching rangers at Virunga National Park has taken the internet by storm. Mathieu Shamavu, an anti-poaching ranger at Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, decided to capture this unique moment to raise public awareness about wildlife conservation.
The photo shows Mathieu and his colleagues with two gorillas, who are posing just like humans, creating an adorable scene. Mathieu posted the photo on the anti-poaching team’s Facebook group with the caption: “A normal day at work.” The photo quickly went viral, garnering thousands of likes and shares.
Many people have expressed their delight at the cute image of the gorillas and the friendly relationship between them and the park rangers, calling it the “Selfie of the Year.” Additionally, many have thanked people like Mathieu for their work and urged others to contribute their time, money, and effort to help save wildlife.
Gorillas are one of the largest surviving primate species and are closely related to humans, with DNA similarity up to 98-99%. They stand about 1.7 to 2 meters tall when upright and weigh between 180 to 200 kg. Although they typically move on all fours, gorillas can also stand on two legs. They currently inhabit the tropical and subtropical forests of Africa and are listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
Virunga National Park is one of the world’s most biodiverse protected areas, home to 218 mammal species, 706 bird species, 109 reptile species, 78 amphibian species, and 22 primate species. Approximately one-third of the world’s mountain gorilla population lives there. Rangers at Virunga undergo intense training due to the extremely dangerous nature of their work. A total of 179 rangers have lost their lives in the line of duty. Despite the challenging work, the gorillas at Virunga show friendliness towards their protectors and are happy to strike a selfie pose with them.
