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Life

Wild mountain gorillas enjoy playing in water just like we do

By Michael Marshall

8 September 2019

gorilla in water

Even in the wild, mountain gorillas like to splash around

Avalon/Photoshot License/Alamy Stock Photo

For the first time, wild mountain gorillas have been seen playing in water and having a splashing good time.

Raquel Costa of Kyoto University in Japan spotted the behaviour by chance. She studies the impact of ecotourism on the wild mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) living in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.

In January 2018, Costa saw a 15-year-old male gorilla named Kanywani sitting by a stream. He was gently moving his arm backwards and forwards in the water. However, he only did it for…

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