After making a fortune in real estate, British tycoon Damian Aspinall turned his attention to nature, taking charge of the wildlife conservation foundation his father established. What’s particularly close to Damian’s heart is the foundation’s work with gorillas. In fact, he’s personally been involved in the rescue and rehabilitation of dozens of injured, neglected, or orphaned gorillas.
Two of those gorillas, Djalta and Ima, had been raised by Damian from the time they were babies until they were 10 and 12 years old when they were returned to the jungle. Six years after that, Damian wanted to see his old friends again and introduce them to his wife Victoria. There was no telling how they’d react to her, but he hoped that they’d be accepting when they saw she was part of his group. Victoria hoped for the best: “Now they’re much bigger. They’re 16 and 18-year-old male gorillas, so it’s slightly scary. And I’ve never been in contact with a gorilla before, so hopefully, if everything works out well, I can go and see them and be in contact with them. But we’ll see.”
Once in Gabon, in central Africa, Damian and Victoria headed upriver in a motorboat, scanning the banks for any signs of gorilla activity. The great apes were elusive, but a drone soon found them. Gorillas are actually very gentle creatures but at the same time, they’re incredibly strong and can become aggressive if they feel threatened. Djalta and Ima would have to be approached with caution — who knew if they’d even recognize Damian after six years?
But as you’ll see in the video posted below, the two gorillas didn’t just welcome their old friend Damian with open arms, but they immediately liked Victoria. Even more so when they came back the next day: one of the gorillas asked for a hug and then stole her hat! Damian quipped, “I think I’ve lost my wife.”
Did you enjoy seeing these amazing apes’ reaction to seeing Damian again? Let us know in the comments section below. Be sure to like and share, too!