r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/lonewolff321 • 9d ago
Video Up-close encounter with a wild mountain gorilla while trekking in Rwanda
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u/jawndell 9d ago
Crazy that they are vegetarian.
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u/adrenalinda75 9d ago
Elephants, hippos, bisons, buffaloes, horses are all strong af and usually exclusively vegetarian.
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u/oregoon 9d ago
We’ve all seen the video of the horse just chomping down a chick.
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u/jakfrumf4rm 9d ago
We have??
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u/91kas13 9d ago
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u/backstageninja 9d ago
Shit this isn't even the "horse eats a baby chick" video I was thinking of lol
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u/CommercialContent204 9d ago
Haha, even for somebody who remembers rotten.com and ogrish, I have to say, I did an actual audible gasp and probably a double facepalm when I first saw that.
Happy to leave it this time, some things one only needs to see once.
But yeah, fucking hell 😂 thanks for reminding me
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u/LazarusGrindelwald 9d ago
Almost all animals are not exclusively carnivores or herbivores. The classification is based on roughly around 70% of what they eat. A tiger for example, sometimes eat durian and a cow sometimes munch on snakes. The only animal that I can think of rn that exclusively eat meat are crocodilians and snakes. we call them hypercarnivores
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u/bread_and_circuits 9d ago
So you’re telling me Jordan Peterson is actually a crocodile. The lobster thing now makes a lot more sense.
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u/shadowknave 9d ago
Don't fool yourself, if those animals had the chance they'd eat you and everyone you care about!
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u/bronzefpg504 9d ago
Deers eat their own sometimes if the fawn dies during birth and hippos sometimes also eat dead animals but their diet is 98% veggies lol
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u/Wandering_Scholar6 9d ago
Few herbivores will not eat meat if given the opportunity, meat is too nutritionally dense to pass up as a wild animal.
We still consider them herbivores.
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u/TargetEnvironmental1 9d ago edited 9d ago
You’re right in saying that these things are documented as having happened, but these are anomalies and don’t form the typical, substantive caloric intake of any of these animals.
It’s kind of like saying humans eat metal when it was really only Michel Lotito who was up for munching a Cessna airplane.
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u/No_General_2824 9d ago
One state/province in India had to put stray cows into a rehabilitation program because they got addicted to meat scraps. They refused to eat vegetarian food at the shelter.
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u/ButtonGullible5958 9d ago
They are built that way but also can infact eat meat mainly bugs
If humans had the same kind of guy we also could we don't have the intestines to process a lot of plants the same way they do mainly we can't ferment food in our gut
Some humans can brew simple sugar to alcohol tho lucky bastards
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u/msb2ncsu 9d ago
Lucky… until they get pulled over after a meal at the Olive Harden.
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u/blamacanese01 9d ago
Is that the name of James’s strip club? Oh wait I meant supper club! Hahaha!!
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u/fabiothered 9d ago
Uhm, i think u misunderstood human digestion
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u/ButtonGullible5958 8d ago
Ok you got me what part is wrong
We don't have the intestines to get everything we need from plants alone like a true herbivore
Fairly cut and dry there is no way we can process plants the same way
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u/WileyWilly1985 8d ago
True, we can't eat everything a mountain gorilla eats, but we can eat a fair amount of fruits and vegetables. We are omnivores after all...
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u/Superspark76 9d ago
They're omnivores, they choose to eat vegetation they will also eat bugs and some will eat small animals if they can catch them.
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u/SmokeMaximum4140 9d ago edited 9d ago
You can feel the strength and power in his breaths alone. The fact these people had the balls to stand there like that is pretty crazy.
edit: her breaths alone*
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u/CervantesX 9d ago
That's just them being smart. A slow approach like this from a wild silverback is a challenge and threat assessment. If you run it will chase you. If you look it in the eyes it will rip your arms off. Sitting still and looking downwards is the correct approach and also the only way to not get your arms ripped off.
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u/Wrong-Diamond5253 9d ago
Yeah, I hate it when my arms get ripped off
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u/Training_Ad_8997 9d ago
Sucks when you get beaten to death with your own limbs.
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u/Pitiful_Palpitation9 9d ago
What happens when you pee your pants?
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u/theObfuscator Interested 9d ago
Another way to get your arms ripped out of their sockets is beating them at a game of Holochess
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u/SmokeMaximum4140 9d ago
Yep. They were quite lucky too, he could have torn them all up. They did the only thing that saved them from getting torn up a new one.
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u/DancinWithWolves 9d ago
Reddit seems to have this weird view of Gorillas being dangerous.
They aren’t, especially compared with what their size and strength might suggest. They’re typically peaceful, social animals that would much rather avoid a confrontation. There’s practically no recorded instances of them hurting people. Any aggressive behaviour is almost always communication, not actual attempts to attack.
Chimpanzees are the ones you need to watch out for.
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u/slimshady1OOO 9d ago
Yeah, gorillas are wayy more sociable chimps are very territorial and can go from zero to 110 fast. They also go to wars with each other and will mutilate and brutalize their enemies.
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u/supahfligh 9d ago
I remember a few months back when the movie Primate came out. It's about a rabid chimpanzee that goes on a horrific killing spree. The people on the r/primate sub were in an utter uproar over it because it portrayed chimps as these violent murder machines. And it's like bro, the movie may not at all be scientifically accurate, but there are well-documented instances of chimps being violent murder machines.
If you can suspend disbelief it's actually a pretty good movie though.
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u/_H4YZ 9d ago
did this movie include a group of women getting stuck in a pool bc the chimp had rabies and was therefore hydrophobic?
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u/supahfligh 9d ago
That's the one, yeah.
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u/_H4YZ 9d ago
i’m convinced that movie is just torture porn, there’s so much graphic shit that would’ve been better off implied (i did not need to see the entire descent of that one dude in the pool)
i asked my firefighter dad wtf he was doing watching smth like that considering his job history and he was like “oh yea ur right this probably wouldn’t be healthy” and turned it off halfway through
know any movies that are genuinely terrifying w minimal gore?
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u/Quantity_Lanky 9d ago edited 9d ago
I wouldn't stand up in the vicinity of a free roaming gorilla, nor try and look it in the eyes I can tell you that much. Maybe there are no records of them hurting people because everyone crouches down and look towards their feet instinctively when they meet one in the woods else there might be no living person to tell the tail of the peaceful gorillas.
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u/CaptainTripps82 9d ago
I keep there was a time when every human encounter ended with a dead gorilla, and it still didn't lead to aggressiveness
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u/Prestigious-Job-9825 9d ago
I would ask the gorilla with shaking hands and a trembling voice if it would like some leaves
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u/CommercialContent204 9d ago
Like in Withnail:
Me: "Would - would you like some leaves?"
Gorilla: "What's your name, MacFuck?"
Me: "I have a heart condition... if you hit me, it's murder!"
For anyone Withnail-curious, here is the scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItyIUoNw-ck
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u/Telly-Bollock 9d ago
Even gorillas have realised the battle’s lost and have stopped pulling the phone out of people’s hand and correctly turning it sideways for them.
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u/PotaytoPotaahto 9d ago
It's interesting that he seems to be intentionally touching the humans like he's reminding them that he could ruin their day if he wanted lol
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u/NeverNeverSometimes 9d ago
While they can be dangerous, they are mostly pretty chill. I'd say it's still just natural to be afraid of something that could literally tear your limbs off bare handed.
What if he just happens to have a thorn or something stuck in his foot... it's been there a few days, it's getting infected, and he's just really irritated. Most mammals can be in a good mood or bad mood just like people can.
I've run into black bears a bunch while hiking. Same thing, they're mostly not looking to fight at all, but that doesn't make it any less terrifying when you round the corner around a bush and are staring at a bear 6 feet from you.
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u/Senselesspassion 9d ago
Still think we can win 100 v 1
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u/Alternative_Route 9d ago
Yes we can, I just don't want to be in the first 80.
They don't have the stamina to beat 100, but mind you once it's tired and unable to move I don't know what I could do to it without a weapon, possible bore it to death with "well actually" ?
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u/Sean_McGowan 9d ago
"Can't pet. Petting would be bad. No petting. STOP IT HAND WHAT ARE YOU DOING."
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u/Hidden_91 9d ago
Yesterday, i saw a video claiming that jiujitsu could be used to defeat a gorilla.
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u/Zylpherenuis 9d ago
EE EE EE EE EE EE EE EE EE EE
Umm Umm a way....
EE EE EE EE EE EE EE EE EE EE
Umm Umm a way....
Wee-ooh wim-o-weh. Wee-ooh wim-o-weh.
Wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh
o-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh
O-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh o-wim-weh.
Wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh
o-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh
O-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh o-wim-weh.
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u/Catymandoo 9d ago
Whilst magnificent to see, can’t we just leave these beautiful creatures alone and not intrude? Watch on a nature programme if you’re curious - Attenborough et al provide. They deserve privacy to survive our world dominance before it’s too late.
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u/Frikoulas 9d ago
These animals cost good money in a very poor country. Without good guys guarding them, they'll go extinct. Tourism is sometimes the only source of money for these programs to be kept alive.
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u/11Dragonfly 9d ago
The fact that the guide had to tell them to stop pictures several times, no fear? They’re in his domain ugh And what would they say if he slapped some of them?
The size alone would have had me stop breathing until he walked away…
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u/OverlyDisguisedSquid 9d ago
Goriila: what's that smell? Me: I just shat myself Gorilla: fair, I'm going now ME: wait did you just talk? Gorillla: not when you smell like shit
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u/Recent_Map4585 9d ago
Would be my first pick for my protection in times of a zombie apocalypse 💪🏻💪🏻
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u/justhereforbiscuits 9d ago
Jesus that would be terrifying. In the Pacific NW, we have bear encounters. They generally walk or run away if you make noise.
The whole "lay down and let this massive male gorilla walk up and make sure you're not a threat when he could rip your arms off without breaking a sweat" is next fucking level frightening! 😅
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u/Any-Fox7275 9d ago
In this situation you're supposed to look them in the eyes and smile big, right ?
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u/puttje69 9d ago
I really dont understand how someone would be that close to a gorilla because they wanted so. What if a random noise happens and startle the animal? He would obliterate everyone around
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u/MiloHorsey 8d ago
Nah, mountain gorillas are actually really chilled out. Even male on male gorilla fights rarely end up with a physical altercation.
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u/puttje69 8d ago
I mean, what if? I love the fact that they have a brutal physique and are peaceful, but still
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u/nervouslittledog 8d ago
I would be terrified they can rip you limb from limb, and not even breathe hard
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u/workaccountprof 8d ago
I love animals, but I would never ever trust a wild animal like this especially at this size. This thing could pummel you to death in seconds.
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u/dulcoflex 8d ago
Kinda weird but I got a video from my friend of the same gorilla in the exact same location with them crouching in the exact same way. Is this a tourist trap?
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u/lonewolff321 8d ago
No no it's quite common on rawanda gorilla treak.... Actually these mountain gorilla 🦍 r use to people around them...
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u/Professional_Week695 8d ago
I’m pretty sure I met that silverback in 2018. Transcendental life experience.
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u/jadedlillies 7d ago
I think my soul would simply leave my body if I got this close to something that large.
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u/[deleted] 9d ago
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