Going ape: Groovin' gorilla busts out 'breakdancing' moves while splashing in zoo pool
A groovin' gorilla at a US zoo has delighted the internet with footage of it "breakdancing" while splashing about a swimming pool.
Gorillas are known for their power and size, but Zola was filmed dancing up a storm at a Dallas Zoo, busting some impressive moves.
With the city's summer temperature reaching mid 30C all week, the 14-year-old male western Iowland gorilla splashed about in the pool like there was no one watching.
Video of his energetic twirls has gone viral, with viewers taking great delight in the funky ape's moment of joy.
But there was no music for the gorilla to jive along too, he was just following his feet and dancing to the beat of his heart.
The pool party was part of a session to promote play through enrichment to keep the primate engaged, the zoo said in a blog on Tuesday.
"Zola’s 'dancing' is really just a play behaviour... Play is a natural behavior present in a wide array of animals (sic)," the zoo wrote.
"In fact, the presence of play can signify an animal is content or comfortable, and it is recognized as an indicator for general welfare."
The 30-second video of Zola "breakdancing" was posted on the zoo's YouTube page on Tuesday and had already been viewed more than 355,300 times by Saturday morning.
