It seems the internet has a new heartthrob… and an unlikely one at that.
Meet Shabani, a brooding primate living at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Japan.
Shabani is a Western Lowland Gorilla who has been in the zoo since 2007. But it’s only now at the prime age of 18 that he’s getting all this attention.
“He is more buff than most gorillas and he’s at his peak physically. We’ve seen a rise in the number of female visitors — women say he’s very good-looking,” said zoo spokesperson Takayuki Ishikawa.
東山動物園に行ってきました♪ この暑いのにｗ シャバーニくんは確かにイケメンでイクメンでした。 pic.twitter.com/UGoVFoQT6J
— りょう(りょう丸 歌絵) (@ayajincyan) May 27, 2015
Indeed, he’s become quite popular with the ladies — human ladies — thanks to his incredibly chiseled features.
He also has amazingly soulful eyes and a piercing gaze that would be quite right for a magazine spread…
東山動物園のイケメンゴリラ「シャバーニ」があまりに人気で・・・ ＮＨＫのローカルニュース内でも・・ このポーズはゴリラとは思えませんね・・ pic.twitter.com/xZpSpdcSqu
— minty (@razzzia) June 16, 2015
… and a strong physique that many can only aspire to.
モデルみたいに格好よくポーズをとる シャバーニ #シャバーニ #東山動植物園 #ファインダー越しの私の世界 #写真好きな人と繋がりたい pic.twitter.com/8Nxamk1B7p
— 葉月 (@hazukikameraman) May 31, 2015
With the way that he seems to be hamming it up for his audience, he’s probably well aware of what a fine specimen he is.
動物園いきたい #シャバーニ pic.twitter.com/vj5JZ8AajU
— チェ・ミキ (@mtop1205) June 3, 2015
No wonder Japanese women have branded him ikeman, or “extremely good-looking guy.” Some have even gone as far as calling him “sexy.”
Well, it may seem a bit bizarre to label a gorilla “sexy”, but we definitely agree with one thing — Shabani is one fine specimen, indeed.
https://vine.co/v/e5I2VZxIJ9F