I have taken up a strong interest in gorillas and other primates, lately I've been looking at job/study options and since I've always liked animals and the one time that I did volunteer at a wildlife shelter with native wildlife of my region I loved it (I couldn't continue because of the immense chronic pain that I was struggling with at the time) so I'm looking at it as a job option. Math/science and animals are my strongest passions. I'm considering studying a zoology course at my state university and/or doing a volunteering holiday in Africa or volunteering at a zoo once I am physically healthy as I know to work in a zoo or rainforest you have to be quite physically adept (even now the fibromyalgia pain condition that I have is still poorly managed) but want to learn a lot more before doing so. Gorillas fascinate me the most out of all of the primates. I figure that a good place to start would be to learn more about these animals before enrolling in a course or doing a volunteering holiday. I have watched some documentaries on gorillas and also some shows on chimpanzees and a movie on orangutans, and I also visited the orangutans at the Perth Zoo (they don't have gorillas in the Perth Zoo, but I know that they do at the Taronga Zoo and Melbourne Zoo and also the Werribee Open Range Zoo and the Mogo Wildlife Park). What books and documentaries would you recommend? And assuming my pain is managed by sometime next year or the year after, I'm considering visiting Africa for a shorter non-volunteering holiday and going on a gorilla trekking tour, what tours would you recommend for doing so? I'm getting a bit ahead of myself but I think that it might be good to actually visit Africa and another zoo before volunteering/working there or in a zoo with gorillas. What tips would you recommend while going on a trekking tour (I know that if you see a gorilla you have to stay still and be very quiet and not look them directly in the eye, are there any other tips that I need to bear in mind if going on a tour?).

https://talkingapes.org/posts/kirsten/

I'm not disputing their strength since they can lift their entire body of 300-400 lbs up to climb like nothing. Many people say they are 10x time stronger than a human. Some claim they can bench press 1300 lbs. Would like to see scientist conduct a safe strength test that doesn't risk of hurting a gorillla. Like a rope where they can pull a heavy item that weights a lot.

I was just curious if it would be possible to have a situation like the Tarzan story to happen irl. Imagine if a human baby for some reason was lost in a jungle and a tribe of silverback gorillas find it. Do you think it's possible a mother in that tribe would take care of the baby like her own and the rest of the tribe would accept the baby? What do you guys think?

We went there today and we went to empty spot and the larger (silverback?) gorilla decided to walk on over and sit right at the window and eat. Everyone started crowding around us and my wife got anxious and pushed to leave after like 30 seconds. I really didn't want to leave the spot that quick, nor did our kids but, confused, I followed her. It ended up turning towards the glass and sitting there for 5 minutes. We were nowhere near glass at that point so not the same as being within mere feet and looking right at its features, into its eyes, etc.

I'm sort of upset now since we stuck around for another 20 minutes and it was just walking around 50 feet away. The others were also really nowhere close to glass for the time.

We left and didn't go back in since there are other animals to see.

I want to go back sometime but curious how rare of an experience that is? How often do they go up to the glass and sit there? It is cool seeing from a distance but it's really night and day in my view. It is almost like how they say seeing an eclipse at totality vs. 99% is just different. Being THAT close was an experience like nothing else. There hands, their face. It was awesome.

I should perseverate on it but I am want honest truth as to how I can get lucky like that again or if maybe it happens all the time?

The other tough part is that the exhibit is crowded so it also seems likely you'll be crowded out and not able to get that view because of others.

I am curious about Gorillas held in captivity and the comparison in biology compared to Gorillas in the wild and am curious which is the currently largest living gorilla held in captivity.

Prayers for little Makongo! He lost his mama way too soon!