Could a group of 100 men manage to overpower a fully grown silverback gorilla in a fight?
This question has sparked a heated debate across the internet, much like the discussions that surrounded Harambe in the past.
The unusual query has captivated social media users everywhere, from TikTok to Reddit, as they engage in this theoretical discussion.
The scenario suggests: if 100 unarmed men could work together, could they bring down a mature silverback gorilla?
To provide some perspective, gorillas are believed to be four to ten times stronger than humans, and they can lift approximately ten times their body weight.
Fully grown silverbacks are incredibly powerful, capable of lifting over 800kg of dead weight, which is more than double what a seasoned professional weightlifter can manage.
It’s estimated that gorillas can bench press around 1,810 kg, vastly surpassing humans, who can lift only about 885 lbs, according to Kabria Gorilla Safaris.
Unsurprisingly, this conundrum is not one that many are eager to experiment with in reality.
Nevertheless, it has provided some amusement, with one internet user commenting: “I’m sorry but this gorilla debacle is as close to old Twitter as we’re getting rn, I’m in tears.”
Someone else humorously suggested that the 100 men could form teams of 20. Their strategy involved “20 of us grabbing his arms, another 20 grabbing his legs, another 20 grabbing his head, while the remaining 40 can stomp him out in the nuts and his neck.”
With a gif depicting a group preparing for a game, the Twitter user humorously added: “Gorilla Beaters on three…”
On Reddit, skepticism prevailed, with one user noting: “The hundred humans would never fit around the gorilla, so you’re like 5 people on 1 gorilla max at a time. You can’t punch a gorilla to death. That gorilla would mess up everyone.”
Others compared the endeavor to ‘kicking or punching a rock.’
Another user pointed out that the gorilla “would just need to beat like 30 people before everyone else runs for their lives.”
“Idk man once that gorilla rips people’s arms out and beats ’em to death with their arms, and then beats other people to death with their armless friends corpse…” remarked another participant, prompting a reply: “This visual had me choking laughing.”
Some users expressed that this lighthearted debate was exactly ‘the type of content we need’ online.
Although this peculiar discussion has gained traction recently, it is not a new phenomenon. Similar debates date back to the early days of internet forums, where “who would win” questions have long been a source of amusement.
For instance, a 2017 Reddit thread titled “Is there any human alive who could beat a gorilla in these conditions?” challenged users to consider whether a single person, even armed, could defeat such a formidable creature.
To those optimistic about the human side, bear in mind that a silverback is as strong as 20 adult humans combined, which would instantly eliminate a fifth of the group.
Personally, I’m siding with the gorilla on this one.