logo

Huge gorilla meets a tiny bush baby in the forest and their bond quickly goes viral

Manuela Cardiga
Oct 03, 2018
10:12 A.M.

An unlikely friendship between the biggest of all primates, and one of the tiniest.

Advertisement

Bobo the western lowland gorilla lives in Mefou Primate Sanctuary in the Cameroons with more than 300 hundred other rescued animals.

The Sanctuary protects endangered animals from poachers, and Bobo is one of these animals.

The big gorilla grew up an orphan, but he is a kind and compassionate creature, as developing events would prove.

A post on Facebook by Ape Action Africa showed footage that outed Bobo as a 440-pound softy.

Source: Facebook/ApeActionAfrica

Source: Facebook/ApeActionAfrica

Advertisement

"Caregivers discovered him cradling the tiny primate during their morning checks, and were amazed to see him handling it with the utmost care."

Ape Action Africa, Facebook , August 2018.

BIG BOBO IS THE DOMINANT MALE GORILLA

Bobo is the dominant male in his group, but he came to the sanctuary in 1994 as a tiny two-year-old after his mom was killed by poachers.

One morning, the sanctuary caregivers were astounded to see that Bobo was cradling a tiny creature gently in his hands. It was a Galago, also known as a bushbaby.

Source: Facebook/ApeActionAfrica

Source: Facebook/ApeActionAfrica

Advertisement

BUSHBABIES ARE THE SMALLEST OF PRIMATES

The tiny creature that Bobo had befriended is one of the smallest of all primates. Bushbabies are nocturnal insectivores weighing in at a mere 200 gr, and standing no higher than Bobo's thumb.

Source: Facebook/ApeActionAfrica

Source: Facebook/ApeActionAfrica

A FRIENDSHIP MADE IN HEAVEN

The caregivers were astounded to see that the bushbaby was completely unafraid of Bobo, wandering off for a walk in the grass, then coming back to clamber up onto his giant friend's body.

Advertisement
Source: Facebook/ApeActionAfrica

Source: Facebook/ApeActionAfrica

BOBO PROTECTED THE BUSHBABY FROM THE BAND'S CURIOSITY

The other gorillas saw the bushbaby and wanted to play too, but Bobo protected his fragile friend from their curiosity - letting them look but not touch. Two hours later, Bobo took his friend into the trees and set him free.

Advertisement

ANOTHER UNLIKELY PAIR

Far away from Bobo in his African sanctuary in the Cameroons, another unlikely pair of friends teams up for a morning workout in Tampa, Florida.

Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida has shared a video showing their gorilla, Bolingo working out with his trainer, Rachel Hale.

In the video, Bolingo can be seen copying Hale's movements and matching hands and feet through the glass.

This training allows employees to build trust with the animals and it creates a special bond. Hale's and Bolingo's work out has been viewed nearly 200,000 times.

In a related story, a child who fell into a gorilla enclosure at the Jersey Zoo was protected by a giant silverback male until rescuers arrived.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Related posts
Kate Gosselin with her eight children | Source: Getty Images

Jon & Kate Gosselin's Son Dedicates a Birthday Post to the Woman He Calls His 'Real Mom' — and It's Not Kate

June 22, 2026

King Charles III, Prince William, Princess Catherine, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry | Source: Getty Images

Meghan Markle Turns 45: What King Charles Is Expected to Do — and Why William and Kate Are a Different Story

August 04, 2026

Briella Holmes and her brother | Source: GoFundMe

3-Year-Old Girl Dies After Freak Accident with Toy at Babysitter's Home — What Her Brother Told Police

August 05, 2026

These iconic couple when they were little | Source: Instagram/tomholland2013 | Instagram/zendaya

This Iconic Hollywood Couple's Red Carpet Body Language Has Fans Buzzing — Photos from Childhood to Now

June 16, 2026

Sam Neill | Source: Getty Images

Insiders Reveal What Sam Neill's Final Days Looked Like After News of His 'Sudden' Passing At 78 Surfaced – Details

July 14, 2026

Kate Gosselin and her eight children | Source: Getty Images

The 'Jon & Kate Plus 8' Family Years Later: Divorce, Accusations, and Estrangement — Photos

June 29, 2026

Savannah and Nancy Guthrie. | Source: Getty Images

Inside the Nancy Guthrie Investigation: The Early Misstep Made in the First Few Days

June 24, 2026

Lindsey Graham and Darline Graham Nordone | Source: Getty Images

Lindsey Graham's Sister Breaks Her Silence, Trump Recalls His 'One Bad Moment,' and His Estate Raises New Questions

July 14, 2026

Daryl Hannah | Source: Getty Images

Daryl Hannah in Her 60s: AI Portraits Imagine What the 'Splash' Star Looks Like Now — And Plastic Surgeons Weigh In — Photos

August 04, 2026

Oliver Tree | Fatal helicopter collision over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Source: Getty Images | x/Breaking911

American Singer Oliver Tree, 32, Among 6 Dead in Rio Helicopter Collision — Here's What We Know

June 14, 2026

Wiz Khalifa | Source: Getty Images

The Global Blueprint: The Unexpected City That Streams Wiz Khalifa's Music More Than Anywhere Else in the World

June 15, 2026