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  • Shabani the gorilla
    Shabani the gorillahanemimi/Instagram
  • Shabani the gorilla
    Shabani the gorillahanemimi/Instagram

'Handsome Gorilla' Shabani has reportedly become a favourite among female visitors in Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Japan. 

The eighteen-year-old has also become a celebrity on social media, where fans call him 'ikemen', meaning a 'good-looking man'.

Rachel Caires ‏

Yo that gorilla is hot af. #hotgorilla#Shabani

Tom Donkin ‏

That's one good lookin' Gorilla...Shabani is breaking hearts in Japan

Morgizzle D Hizzle

Just spent 30 minutes looking at pictures of Shabani the hunky gorilla.

However, some are jealous, wondering how females are getting attracted to a gorilla.

Zaddy ‏

How sad is the dating scene that women are flocking to zoos to see a damned gorilla

Growing up in an Australian zoo, Shabani, the western-lowland gorilla weighing 180kg, was brought to Japan in 2007 to mate with two female gorillas Ai and Nene, and is the father of Kiyomasi and Annie.

Interestingly, with the increasing popularity of the gorilla, the authorities have even used Shabani for the promotion of the zoo.

ゴリラ推しがすごい

A photo posted by @hanemimi on

Meanwhile, a letter to Shabani by writer Dylan Love is also doing the rounds on social media:

Please know that you are my first thought upon waking and my last upon bedding down at camp each night. Between this damned war and your being locked up in a Japanese zoo, I don't know when I'll get to gaze upon your strangely appealing face again. I pray you're remaining true to me even in light of your new widespread attention from those of the fairer sex.

And there is an interesting response to the post as well, apparently by a woman:

Jaya Saxena

Someday someone will love me as much as @dylanlove loves this hot gorilla

Check out the photos and videos of Shabani below:

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