In this heartwarming moment, two gorilla siblings are reunited after almost 3 years apart. The two primates were separated because one of them was sent to another zoo as part of a mating effort. They reconnected at the Longleat Safari Park in the United Kingdom, and they looked to be enjoying every bit of their reunion.
Staff at the zoo were originally concerned that the two brothers would not know each other, but the moment they met shocked everyone. The touching scene was captured on video, and it shows Kesho and his younger brother, Alf, embracing and shaking hands as though they had missed each other so much. At one moment, the two brothers seem to be sharing a joke!
“We weren’t sure if the siblings would even recognise each other, but the instant they met, you could almost feel the familiarity in their eyes,” said gorilla keeper Mark Tye. “They were rather lively, and there was a lot of roughhousing on the floor.”
The unusual occurrence surprised everyone since such things are very rare among silverback gorillas. Territorial creatures, gorilla males are particularly hostile to one another, despite being members of the same family.
“It’s pretty rare to witness such childish behavior in a silverback,” Tye added. Having an older brother to look up to and learn from is fantastic for Alf, and Kesho seemed to love being the center of attention. “It was a pleasure to see.”
Here’s where you can see the lovely moment:
