On the day of the meeting, the man was brought to the zoo on a stretcher, covered with a blanket. He was breathing heavily, his eyes half-closed, but he was happy. The staff opened the gate and carefully brought him into the enclosure. The gorilla sat in a corner, facing away.

When it heard a faint cough, it turned around. For a few seconds, it just stared at the man, as if unable to believe its eyes. Then it slowly began to approach, taking heavy, deliberate steps. The zookeepers held their breath.

They were sure the gorilla wouldn’t remember the man after all those years, and they had tranquilizers ready just in case.

The gorilla came closer to the elderly man, lowered its head — and did something that shocked everyone 😨😱
Continuation in the first comment 👇👇

The gorilla gently touched his hand, sniffed it, then let out a deep, mournful sound — and suddenly wrapped its arms around him.

It didn’t squeeze — it just held him close, as if afraid to lose him again. Its eyes glistened, its breathing grew faster, and it made soft, sorrowful noises — as if it were crying.

The old man raised his hand, stroked its head, and gave a faint smile.

No one could hold back their tears. The gorilla sat beside him, still holding him, rocking gently back and forth, making quiet, almost human-like sounds — as if speaking to him.

A few minutes later, the man closed his eyes, and the staff understood that he had fallen asleep forever.

The gorilla sat beside him for a long time, motionless, and when the zookeepers tried to take the body away, it wouldn’t let them — it growled, protecting him, until it was sure they carried him away gently and with respect