For many of us, looking cool for the camera is something of a struggle.
But these two gorillas prove anyone can do it, with a little attitude.
Posing for a selfie with rangers, one looks as if he has his hands in his pockets, while the other seems to lean forward to make sure he’s in the shot.
The photo was taken at the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is home to a third of the world’s population of endangered mountain gorillas. Mathieu Shamavu, who is one of 600 rangers at the park, shared the image on social media with the caption ‘another day at the office’, while a colleague posted a close-up with one particularly friendly primate.
"YES, it's real," the Virunga National Park later posted on their Instagram.
"You might have recently seen caretakers Mathieu and Patrick’s amazing selfie with female orphaned gorillas Ndakazi and Ndeze inside the Senkwekwe center at Virunga National Park. We’ve received dozens of messages about the photo. YES, it’s real! Those gorilla gals are always acting cheeky so this was the perfect shot of their true personalities! Also, it’s no surprise to see these girls on their two feet either - most primates are comfortable walking upright (bipedalism) for short bursts of time," the park said.
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You might have recently seen caretakers Mathieu and Patrick’s amazing selfie with female orphaned gorillas Ndakazi and Ndeze inside the Senkwekwe center at Virunga National Park. We’ve received dozens of messages about the photo. YES, it’s real! Those gorilla gals are always acting cheeky so this was the perfect shot of their true personalities! Also, it’s no surprise to see these girls on their two feet either—most primates are comfortable walking upright (bipedalism) for short bursts of time. Guys, if you shared our gorilla selfie post, please share our Earth Day posts as well! Conserving Virunga’s amazing wildlife is a constant challenge for the Park and our work wouldn’t be possible without your support. Matching funds have been pledged on every donation to the Park today, up to a total of $25,000—giving us the opportunity to raise $50,000 for Virunga! Visit virunga.org/donate or click the link in our bio to get involved and keep sharing our posts! Thank you! *We want to emphasize that these gorillas are in an enclosed sanctuary for orphans to which they have lived since infancy. The caretakers at Senkwekwe take great care to not put the health of the gorillas in danger. These are exceptional circumstances in which the photo was taken. It is never permitted to approach a gorilla in the wild. #gorillaselfie #gorilla #mountaingorilla #mountaingorillaselfie #selfie #earthday #earthday2019 #virunga #virunganationalpark #congo #drcongo #rdc #drc #protecttheplanet #happyearthday #wildlife #wildlifeconservation #conservation #natureconservation
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Virunga National Park(@virunganationalpark) on Apr 22, 2019 at 4:03am PDT
It is thought only 1 000 mountain gorillas remain in the wild, mostly in the DRC and Uganda.
Daily Mail
