This is a very touching YouTube video showing the reunion of a once tame gorilla that was released into the wild by Englishman  Damian Aspinall five years ago. This touching reunion shows the affection that gorillas can have toward humans with whom they have had close contact.

The gorilla, named Kwibi,  was released into the wild by the Aspinall Foundation, which has for over ten years been releasing captive gorillas back into the wild. They utilize facilities in England including  The Howlett’s Wild Animal Park, Port Lympne Zoo and  their million acre reserve in Africa. Just before this video was taken Damian had been cruising up and down the river, calling into the jungle with a special sound that he and Kwibi had used before.

John Aspinall, father of Damian Aspinall seen in the video , was a professional gambler who used his winnings to set up two zoos in England. In spite of how some feel about zoos the properties, mentioned above, have one of the most impressive records of breeding endangered species in the world. In addition to helping restore endangered species to sustainable breeding levels the Aspinall Foundation actively opposes the lifting of the ban on the sale of tiger parts by the Chinese.

Hundreds of tigers are needlessly killed by poachers each year, (some of them on the extremely endangered list), so that their organs can be used in aphrodisiacs and other Chinese  traditional medicine. Though animal parts such as bear gall bladder and tiger paws have been shown by scientists to have none of the healing properties claimed, the practice of illegal slaughter of these and many other species continues throughout the world. Park rangers in the United States are even finding dead bears, with their gallbladder removed, in national parks. Many gorillas are kept in dirty, cramped cages in third world zoos, and they are often found in some appalling circumstances in the developed world.  Pass this touching gorilla reunion video on using the “Share This” tool at the bottom of the page if you wish.