Watch This Huge Silverback Gorilla Go Airborne and Try Break Through the Zoo’s Glass

Written by Sharon Parry
Updated: April 6, 2023
© Jurgen Vogt/Shutterstock.com
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Key Points:

  • This article covers footage captured of a gorilla taking a flying leap into a glass window!
  • While he may or may not have been displaying signs of aggression, the lady in the bright pink sweater got quite a startle three times!
  • At first glance, you may feel sad for the enclosed animal, but the Zoo’s enclosure includes a vast amount of structures providing plenty of enrichment for the mammal.

It’s hard to know what is going through this gorilla’s mind. Is he being playful? Is he being aggressive? Is he just curious? Whatever is going on, it’s a good job that there is a thick pane of glass between the animal and the humans otherwise there would have been some serious injuries!

Gorilla Bouncing off the Glass

From the commentary on this video, it sounds as if the family who captured this footage are frequent visitors to Omaha Zoo. The zoo has created the Hubbard Gorilla Valley which has allowed them to become a major partner in gorilla conservation.

The gorilla enclosure includes some complex climbing structures and tree limbs providing plenty of enrichment opportunities. This allows the gorillas to investigate and forage and gives them a chance to use their problem-solving skills as they would in the wild. There are also waterfalls and streams to provide constant movement in the environment.

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There are windows at eye level so you come literally face-to-face with the gorillas. When the lady in the bright pink sweatshirt turned her back on the gorilla, it was as if he was trying to get her attention by taking a flying leap at the glass. Three times!

Silverback intimidate his own reflection
Gorillas are mainly vegetarian

©Andreas Rose/Shutterstock.com

Gorillas Living in the Wild

Gorillas are the biggest primate in the world and share 98 percent of their DNA with us humans. There are actually four different subspecies of gorillas. Silverback is not a name of a subspecies. It is a way of describing adult, male gorillas that from 12 years old, develop a silver section of hair over their back and hips.

These amazing animals are not violent or aggressive most of the time, in fact, they are quite shy.

Even though they are four times as strong as a human and can bend an iron bar with their bare hands, they are mainly vegetarian (although some eat insects). They like to eat leaves, bamboo shoots, and fruit. These animals can eat as much as 40 pounds of plant matter per day!

Their diet changes with the season and they use their dexterous hands to pick up what they need. You can see the gorilla in this video doing exactly this.

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The Featured Image

Adult male gorillas have silver hair on their lower back
© Jurgen Vogt/Shutterstock.com

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About the Author

Sharon has a Ph.D. in Public Health but has spent the last decade researching and writing about all things connected with animal health and well being. As a life-long animal lover, she now shares her family home with three rabbits, a Syrian hamster, and a very energetic Cocker Spaniel but in the past she has also been a Mom to Guinea Pigs and several cats!She has a passion for researching accurate and credible information about pets and reviewing products that make pet owners' lives a bit easier. When she isn't checking out new pet products she's trekking around the Welsh mountains and beaches with her dog - although she lets her husband and her three grown up daughters tag along sometimes if they are lucky!

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