Gorilla becomes an internet star after a fight with his mate: millions of men saw themselves in him

An unusual hero is gaining popularity on social media — a 13-year-old male gorilla named Kiyomasa from a Japanese zoo. In just a few days, the video of the primate has gathered millions of views and thousands of comments around the world. The reason for its popularity turned out to be unexpected: users saw themselves in his behavior.

In the footage, Kiyomasa sits alone after a conflict with his mate. Instead of returning to his usual activities, the gorilla strikes a pose reminiscent of Rodin's famous “Thinker”: one hand supports his chin, his gaze is fixed in the distance, and his facial expression looks so pensive that many decided the primate was literally analyzing the argument that had just taken place.

Social media users immediately began coming up with humorous versions of what Kiyomasa might be thinking about.

“He is trying to remember exactly when things started going wrong,” one commenter wrote.

Others compared the gorilla to a person who, after a family quarrel, has gone into another room and is now replaying failed arguments in his head. On Reddit, many admitted they saw their own reflection in the primate after unsuccessful conversations and conflicts.

Particular interest was sparked by the fact that Kiyomasa belongs to the species of western lowland gorillas — humans' closest relatives. Scientists have long known that humans and gorillas share about 98% of the same genetic material, and primates themselves are capable of experiencing a wide range of emotions, including attachment, jealousy, stress and feelings after conflicts. That is why Kiyomasa's behavior seemed so familiar and understandable to viewers.

Kiyomasa was born on November 1, 2012, at Higashiyama Zoo in the Japanese city of Nagoya. He is the son of the famous silverback male named Shabani — the gorilla who became world-famous back in 2015 thanks to his unusual appearance. At the time, Japanese media called him “the most beautiful gorilla on the planet,” and female visitors began flocking to the zoo to see the “charismatic handsome one” with their own eyes.

Now, it seems, the star status has passed to his son. The video of a thoughtful Kiyomasa has already spread across international media and social platforms. Many users note that the clip once again reminds us how close humans are to their distant relatives in the primate world.

Some commenters even joke that Kiyomasa looks more inclined to self-analysis than many people do.

And the hero of the viral clip himself, judging by the footage, is still trying to figure out the main question after any quarrel: “What exactly did I say wrong?”