Gorilla Facts: Amazing Things You Didn't Know

The animal itself: Gorillas are those amazing, powerful apes living in Africa. They're the biggest primates on Earth, and super intelligent too. You probably picture them with their big chests and maybe a silverback leader.

Where the word came from: It's kind of cool that the word "gorilla" goes way back to ancient Greece! They had a word "gorillai" for "tribe of hairy women," and that's where we get "gorilla" from. It's not totally clear if those ancient people were actually seeing gorillas, or maybe some other kind of ape or even just really hairy people.

Gorillas in our world: Gorillas pop up in all sorts of places! Think King Kong, or Dian Fossey studying them in the wild. There's even a band called Gorillaz with cartoon gorillas. They've become a symbol of strength and wildness.