Moments of interspecies trust and connection are inspiring. Videos recording such moments can sometimes be a little cheesy. This one is not cheesy. It records the first encounter between an enormous West African Lowland Gorilla, Ima with conservationist, Damian Aspinall’s wife, Victoria.
The scene is evocative of King Kong, with a madcap, cuddly twist.
Humans in general are able to give love with relative ease but accepting love can be more problematic for many people. Studies have shown that the attention of animals can bypass an unconscious human tendency to reject the love of our fellows. This could be one reason why this genre of video remains among the most popular and compelling.
