Shabani the gorilla, who now lives in Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya southwest of Tokyo, has attracted a large following of admirers, usually women, who visit him because he is so ‘handsome’, according to a report in the Daily Mail.
Shabani, who grew up in an Australian zoo, has become a heartthrob among women in Japan. Zoo officials said there had been a notable increase in young female visitors thanks to this good looking ape.
The gorilla’s rise to fame has been fuelled largely by Twitter, where fans post pictures of him claiming he is ‘too handsome’.
His adoring Twitter following often refers to him as an ‘ikemen’, which means a ‘good-looking man’.
Taronga Zoo senior zookeeper Allan Schmidt said Shabani was moved to Australia from The Netherlands as a two-month-old in December 1996 with his family.
When asked if he was surprised by Shabani’s popularity he said: “No because the Japanese are crazy… the Japanese love their fads.”
He added: “I would say most people would consider him fairly dashing.”
Schmidt said this is not the first time 18-year-old Shabani has enjoyed viral internet fame. After moving to Nagoya, he was pictured in 2007 walking along a tightrope in the zoo enclosure.
“He’s used to the limelight,” Schmidt told Daily Mail Australia.
“I went to Higashiyama Zoo. This hot Shabani ikemen was certainly handsome,” one woman wrote.
Another posted photos with the caption: “Shabani who is in Higashiyama Zoo is famous as the too handsome gorilla!”
Meanwhile another visitor posted a picture at the zoo with friends with the caption: “The meeting of going to see the handsome gorilla Shabani… it was a fun holiday.”
