So apparently the newest heartthrob in Japan is actually…a primate? Shabani, the handsome gorilla lives in Higashiyama Zoo in Nagoya, Japan and has recently become one of the most popular animals on exhibit. His skyrocketing popularity is mainly for his reputation as “good-looking” and even “flirtatious.”
After being moved to Australia from The Netherlands as a two-month-old in December 1996 with his family, Shabani, a western lowland gorilla, was raised at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo and moved to Japan in 2007.
When asked if he was surprised by Shabani’s popularity, Taronga senior zookeeper Allan Schmidt said: ‘No, because the Japanese are crazy… The Japanese love their fads.’
He wasn’t kidding! The Higashiyama Zoo has seen a notable uptick in young, female visitors to see the handsome gorilla, with no signs of slowing down any time soon. Do you think Shabani deserves all the hype? See for yourself in the video below.
