zoo

Oh Internet, how we loathe you sometimes.

Millions were disappointed after gullibly falling for an fake story indicating that "Harambe McHarambeface" won the naming contest for a baby gorilla at a Chinese zoo.

It all started when the crap-tacular Daily Mirror--who never checks the legitimacy of their sources--decided to pick up the story. The "source" was the fictitional "Boston Leader" news website, and the internet ran with it from there:






The truth quickly came out and hearts were broken everywhere...





...and though we might not have a Harambe McHarambeface YET, you can still show your support and buy your "McHarambeface" t-shirt here:

Be among the first to get their #McHarambeFace shirts https://t.co/tugrmjXbQc

— Pro Trader EDGE (@THEMarket_EDGE) September 14, 2016

Red-heads in England will get their chance to hang with their brethren when the Twycross Zoo allows gingers in for free on World Orangutan Day, August 19th.

No word yet on whether noted hot gingers Prince Harry or Benedict Cumberbatch will attend.

Harambe, the magical ape who touched our fuzzy hearts now has a petition to name the Cincinnati Bengals after him. I can't think of a better way to kick Tom Brady's ass than by a band of gorillas.



There is already a petition to rename Humboldt Park after him, so we'll see if Cincinnati can get their sh*t together and honor this fine creature of nature.


#DicksoutforHarambe

Residents at the Bristol Zoo can get a little touchy about their privacy.

One local man found that out the hard way when he visited the attraction and began snapping photos of a gorilla minding its own business.

Bob Pitchford, 67, was on a visit to the city's zoo last week when he spotted the large ape chewing on some grass. He took his camera out to take a photo but when the the mammal caught sight of Mr Pritchard he swiftly made the rude gesture.

The gorilla obviously didn't take too kindly to the interruption in its regular grass chewing time and showed his displeasure apparently in the only way it knew how — by flicking the photographer off.

The unnamed flipper of the bird must not have made his point too clear, however, because Pitchford said he didn't even realize he had received the offense until he came home and reviewed the pictures.

'When I saw the pictures, I just thought "you little devil",' he added. 'He really does look a bit cheese off. 'I quite regularly photograph the animals at Bristol, but I've never seen anything like this. 'Gorillas are really good at expressing their feelings. I was just really lucky to capture this.'

This isn't the first documented time we've seen such fierce expression from apes, who also can be well versed in physical communication.

Is this a terrifying image of things to come?

Rise of the Finger of the Apes

Watch this guy get on all fours and prance around with a couple of young lions at the zoo.

The two appear to play along him as he runs back and forth, and they even start pawing at the glass when he gets really close.

Sure, it's all just fun and games now, but once you get rid of that protective barrier it becomes "dinner time"

A similar video emerged last December, in which a lion at the El Paso Zoo tried to "play" with a cute little kid.

A thick pane of glass is all that stands between this female lion and lunch.

Zari, a 7-year-old African lioness at the El Paso Zoo, was captured on video "playing' with this kid back in December.

She is either really fascinated by children, or she really wants to eat them.

The zoo says the animals are just curious, and that the glass is definitely strong enough to protect anyone from harm, so there isn't anything to worry about here.

"When some of our lions see little kids, it seems like it calls attention to them and they want to check them out," a zoo spokesperson told TODAY.com. "She was just trying to play, and the baby was so close. The baby is safe behind a really thick window, which is made so that visitors can see the animals up close."

But lion expert Craig Packer told The Daily Mail that the beasts like to play with babies before eating them.

"Predators generally treat calves/fawns/babies differently from adults because they are such easy prey; there's no real chance of escape, so what's the hurry?" he said.

Yup, she just wants to check him out… with her teeth.

What’s black and white and rolls down a hill?

Bao Bao the baby panda enjoying her first snow day at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

While Tuesday’s snow may have ruined your day, the sixteen month-old cub seemed to really enjoy it. The little ball of fur tumbled around in the white stuff and wrestled her mother Mei Xiang.

And she wasn’t the only one amused by the storm. Here are some lion cubs tackling each other and a gray seal shoving its nose into the snow.