Giant Gorilla & One Of The World’s Smallest Primates Strike Up An Unlikely Friendship

Dec 28, 2022

Bobo the gorilla was virtually alone in the world when his mother was killed by poachers. According to Ape Action Africa, Bobo became a resident of the Mefou Primate Sanctuary after he was orphaned by the bushmeat trade as a young gorilla. He was only 2 years old at the time and has been at the sanctuary since 1994.

Bobo quickly moved to the top of his 300 furry roommates in Cameroon, Africa. Every newcomer in the sanctuary has probably met him at some point. Perhaps his exposure to so many has left Bobo much friendlier than most, something that might have gone unnoticed had it not been for a video clip filmed in 2018, wherein Bobo could be seen gently handling a new primate friend on his fingertips. 

Gorillas are among some of the most deadly creatures to exist in the wild. According to the WWF, humans and gorillas share an astounding 98.3% of their genetic code, coming in after bonobos and chimpanzees as our closest genetic cousins. Although gorillas were downlisted from Critically Endangered to Endangered in November 2018, their populations still remain at risk of dwindling in many parts of the world. Crossing paths with a full-grown gorilla in the wild can be extremely dangerous if it starts to feel threatened. Their long teeth can seriously injure a person. However, some researchers believe the animals are one of the most misrepresented, saying that while they are often portrayed as dangerous, they are actually more reserved and shy and only become aggressive when they feel threatened. Perhaps, that’s why staff and visitors at Bobo’s sanctuary were so surprised to find the gentle giant cuddling up to his new friend, barely even the size of his fist.

Bobo’s new friend seen in the video was a miniature African monkey called a galago, or bush baby, a primate species that spends most of its life in the trees. Bush babies are normally nocturnal animals, according to National Geographic. In fact, the little creatures are only sporadically seen roaming around during the daytime. They definitely aren’t at the top of the food chain, and this particular bush baby was small enough to comfortably sit on the fingertip of his giant buddy. 

The video explained that carers at the sanctuary were left in disbelief upon discovering the 200kg silverback gorilla handling the miniature 200g bush baby, and explained the incredulous moment was the coming together of “Cameroon’s largest & smallest primates.” It simply wasn’t something you see every day from such a powerhouse of an animal.

In the photos and clips, Bobo was seen taking every care in the world not to hurt the little bush baby as it played on his hands and chest. Bobo’s other gorilla friends were also overtaken by curiosity, and got up close and personal with the little fella for a good look. However, Bobo’s protective instincts kicked in, and he made sure no harm came to his new friend. 

But the bush baby just couldn’t stay awake after too long. It was time to go back home.

The most heartwarming part of the video showed the pair walking back slowly to the bush where Bobo, softly cradling the creature, could put the little primate back on his tree. 

Viewers were touched by the connection between the two animals.

“Amazing. Just goes to show they have a sense of creatures other than themselves,” a commenter wrote, while another, remarked: “Gentleness requires great strength to be so remarkable. Kindness should never be mistaken for weakness.” 

Did this sweet video touch your heart? If so, be sure to pass this along to your loved ones and animal-loving friends so they, too, can enjoy watching Bobo and his new friend get to know one another.