In today's dire world where people fear their surroundings due to the novel coronavirus, a series of photographs has become viral and are putting a smile on people's faces. These photos are that of Patrick Sadiki Karabaranga, a 39-year-old guardian of orphaned gorillas in the Virunga National Park located in Rumangabo, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Orphaned Gorillas Taking a Selfie With Caretaker
The now-viral photos show Karabaranga's close relationship with the gorillas, which, according to the Daily Mail, he has been taking care of for more than a decade already.
The series of photos show the orphaned gorillas striking a pose with their guardian, with a few shots even showing Karabaranga lounging calmly with the primates, who he cares for like they are his own children.
These photos have garnered people's attention over the internet, not just because they show the close relationship between the gorillas and their guardian, but because the gorillas seem to have a good sense of what's happening and have been striking a pose for the camera.
Striking a Pose for the Camera
In one of the selfies, one of the gorillas is seemingly enjoying the moment, giving the camera a half-smile.
In another photo, Karabaranga gives one of the younger gorillas a piggyback ride, holding a yellow tennis ball that clearly shows they are well-taken cared of and given toys that can make them happy in the wild.
There's also one hilarious selfie showing the warden and one of the smart animals in a seemingly candid selfie, with the gorilla picking his nose in a very human-like way.e
"I think it's the curiosity to see themselves on the phone that entices them to take selfies with me," Karabaranga said. "I do a lot of my work with orphan gorillas, they are like my human children."
Some of the photos even showed him cuddling with the orphaned creatures.
Anti-Poaching Group Protects Wildlife in Virunga
This is not the first time something like this had made its way on the internet and made everyone happy.
Last year, a park ranger named Mathieu Shamavu, who works with the Virunga National Park, also posted a series of selfies with two orphaned gorillas named Ndeze and Ndakazi, according to NBC News.
Some people on the internet were shocked by how human-like the gorillas were, especially as they were standing like use.
Nevertheless, the park assured people that the photograph was real and that seeing gorillas stand like humans are actually quite normal.
"It's no surprise to see these girls on their two feet either - most primates are comfortable walking upright (bipedalism) for short bursts of time," the park explained.
Shamavu has been working with the park and its anti-poaching unit, which aims to protect the wildlife from poachers who hunt and kill various animals for the game and to sell them in different markets.
Unfortunately, Shamavu's job is dangerous, with five park rangers being killed by gunmen in 2018, and there was another attack that recently happened in April this year.
Nevertheless, Reuters assured people that Karabaranga and Shamavu are safe and weren't part of the group that was ambushed, unlike what some viral posts said.
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