Because animals rarely grasp the concept of their own reflection, this footage of a gorilla somewhat comprehending his own likeness in a large mirror is compelling to watch.
The video shows the gorilla sitting in front of the mirror, sometimes touching it, and off and on pounding his chest. Instinctively, he seems to try and assert himself, as well as get a taste – literally – for what the image in the mirror is like.
The YouTube description reminds the viewer that we never inherently knew what we looked like until we understood reflective surfaces. It’s intriguing and beautiful to watch the animal experiment with his reflection.
Eventually, the young gorilla’s father arrives at the scene and wards off the offspring. At one point, he pounds to ground to scare off the ape in the reflection and even hits the glass to assert his dominance.
While the young ape seems to have grasped the concept of his own reflection, the adult is in full defense mode. It’s curious to observe, nonetheless.
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