What are gorillas afraid of?
Well, in a general sense, they'd be wise to steer clear of humanity since we're responsible to destroying their habitat and in turn reducing their population.
But on an individual level, there isn't much these creatures should be afraid of. Turns out this is wrong.
While they're not as aggressive as some other primates (I'm looking at you, chimpanzees), gorillas are still the largest living member of the primate family, a family that includes human beings.
They're herbivores, but their size, strength, and teeth put humans to shame.
It stands to reason that if gorillas are going to fear any human being, it would be someone who's seven feet tall and weighs at least 340 pounds.
That man? Shaq Diesel, Shaq Fu, The Big Aristotle, Shaq. We're talking about NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal.
During a recent episode of The Big Podcast With Shaq, Shaq told listeners that he has a problem when he goes to the zoo: namely, that the gorillas all want to start fights with him.
Shaq is known for weaving elaborate yarns, so it might be tempting to dismiss this one.
"Every time I go to the gorilla section, they looks at me like, 'Hey man, where your fur at?" he said. "They always go crazy when they see me."
In case you doubted him, Shaq called up Ron Magill, who works in communications for Zoo Miami. Shaq is very familiar with this zoo as he spent five seasons with the Miami Heat.
According to Magill, the gorilla, "gets intimidated, and he looks at Shaq and thinks that Shaq is going to take away his girls, and he gets tight-lipped and tries to make himself look as big as possible. But at the end of the day, he backs off. He knows who's boss."
I didn't know that Shaq was a zoo guy, but he said he'd been to "every zoo in the world." This is obviously hyperbole, but he does sound like a guy who likes going to the zoo, and in turn, starts beef with the gorillas at every zoo he visits.
Shaq's persona is mostly that of a gentle giant, but he was a prolific trash talker on and off the court, and he was infamous for his treatment of backboards. In his current role as TV analyst, he's been known to call out modern-day players.
Make sure to listen to the pertinent part of the podcast, which starts at 2:30. Magill comes in at 7:05.
Let us know what you think of this story, and if you have any fond Shaq memories, we'd love to hear them!
