The Congo’s Next TopModels Are Gorillas

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Ariela, Fresh Face Editor

A worker at the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo took a selfie with two female gorillas that went viral. The worker posted the photo on Facebook with the caption,”Another day at the office…!” The post was shared over 20,000 times. The gorillas in the photo appeared to be posing like humans, one standing tall on two feet looking straight at the camera and the other leaning in to make sure she was in the shot.

The supermodels in the photo are named Ndakazi and Ndeze; they were rescued as young gorillas after they were orphaned twelve years ago when their mother was killed by poachers. Virunga Park said on Facebook that it is common for gorillas to walk on two legs for a short period of time, and because they grew up in the park they are used to imitating the behavior of the workers at the park. They need constant care, so the rangers live nearby and spend their days feeding them, playing with them and keeping them company.

The park wants to emphasize that you shouldn’t approach a gorilla in the wild. The gorillas in the picture live in a wildlife sanctuary and are used to being around people. According to the park’s website about one-third of the world’s mountain gorillas live in the Virunga National Park. To help The Virunga National Park preserve their amazing wildlife, you can make a donation here