Gorilla baby and mother share adorably loving moments together

Gorillas are among the most intelligent creatures in the animal kingdom. They possess the ability to reason, problem solve, remember complex events, and they are capable of highly developed communication. They are even capable of emotion, as we seem to be seeing here between this gorilla baby and his mother. As he lies on his back and plays with his hands and feet, his mother touches him and strokes his feet in a very loving way.

Gorillas possess the ability to fashion natural materials into tools to aid in gathering food. They will adjust sticks to length to fit in holes to retrieve food. A gorilla named Koko became famous in the 1970s when researchers taught her sign language. She mastered over 1,000 signs and was able to string these "words" together to form complex expressions of her wants and feelings. Even gorillas in the wild have been taught to communicate with humans and to exchange objects for food.

Lowland gorillas are dwindling in number due to habitat loss and illegal poaching. It is beyond tragic to see such complex and intelligent creatures facing extinction.

These gorillas live at the Toronto Zoo in Canada. This zoo is highly regarded for their care and habitat quality, as well as their impressive commitment to conservation efforts around the world.