I have at least a few friends who take great pleasure in watching videos of cats singing, and dogs using skateboards. They spent hours and hours on YouTube watching the ocean of videos that feature this very thing. I’m not one to get excited over footage of animals (unless they’re Howler Monkeys) but I do find this video pretty interesting.
This is a Ambam, a Western Lowland gorilla at the Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent, England. Ambam is (somewhat) unique in his ability to walk long distances on his hind legs, just like a human does.
If any of you know *why* Ambam is able to do this, leave a comment. I’ve read a few comments suggesting that it’s a certain genetic trait, and that the occasional gorilla is able to do this, but I’ve seen nothing concrete.
It’s evolution. Learning by imitation is a known trait for many mammal species. And of course dogs can be trained to walk on two legs for tricks, but this is learned behaviour assuming staff haven’t been training him, and the first hominid must have done just this one day, and liked the advantage of longer view [over the savannah grasses] and stayed upright. Today most of us hominids suffer impacted vertebrae, wear and tear, and back pain as a result! But then my dog also has spondylosis as do I and she never walks upright.