You’ve seen it. Maybe it was a grainy meme on Reddit or a crisp shot in a wildlife photography gallery, but the image is unmistakable. A massive, silver-backed powerhouse staring directly into the lens and hoisting a middle finger with calculated precision. It looks fake. In an era of generative AI and Photoshop, your first instinct is to call "bullshit." But here is the thing: gorillas actually do this.
They flip the bird.
It isn't just a one-off fluke or a digital edit. Whether it's Lope at the Twycross Zoo or a grumpy mountain gorilla in the Rwandan mist, these primates have been caught on camera using the "digit of defiance" more often than you’d think. Honestly, it’s one of those rare moments where the gap between human and Great Ape feels non-existent. We share about 98% of our DNA with them, and apparently, we share the same way of telling someone to get lost.
The Most Famous Finger: Lope and the Twycross Incident
Back in 2016, a young western lowland gorilla named Lope became an internet sensation. He was living at the Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire, England, when photographer Bob Pitchford snapped a shot that would live forever in the halls of viral fame. Lope wasn't just casually resting his hand; he was looking straight at Pitchford, middle finger extended, with a look of pure, unadulterated boredom.
It went everywhere.
The immediate reaction from the public was skepticism. People assumed the photo was doctored because the gesture was too "human." But zoo officials and primatologists confirmed it was legitimate. Lope was just being a teenager. If you’ve ever spent time watching primate social structures, you know that juveniles are the class clowns of the forest. They experiment. They mimic. They push buttons.
Was Lope actually trying to insult the photographer? Probably not in the way a New York taxi driver does. Primatologists suggest that while the "meaning" of the middle finger is a human construct, the use of individual digits for tactile exploration or social signaling is very much a gorilla trait. Sometimes, they are just scratching an itch. Other times, they are mimicking a gesture they’ve seen through the glass of their enclosure.
Do They Know What It Means?
This is where it gets kinda complicated. We love to anthropomorphize animals. We see a dog "smile" and think it’s happy, even though it might just be submissive or hot. With a gorilla giving the middle finger, the temptation to project our own feelings of "leave me alone" is massive.
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Primates are observation machines. They watch us. At high-traffic zoos, gorillas spend hours observing humans who are, in turn, observing them. If a gorilla sees a hundred tourists a day making certain hand gestures, they may begin to mirror those movements. It’s part of their cognitive toolkit. They understand that certain actions get a reaction. If Lope flips his finger and a crowd of humans gasps, laughs, and starts pointing, that is a successful social interaction in the gorilla's mind. He has influenced his environment.
He's the boss.
However, we shouldn't dismiss the possibility of genuine frustration. Gorillas have complex emotional lives. Dr. Francine "Penny" Patterson, famously known for her work with Koko the gorilla, documented Koko using American Sign Language to express incredibly nuanced feelings. Koko had a vocabulary of over 1,000 signs. While the "middle finger" isn't a standard ASL sign for "go away," Koko was known to invent her own signs or use "insult" signs when she was annoyed. She once called a researcher a "fecal-smelling devil." Compared to that, a middle finger is actually pretty polite.
The Anatomy of the Gesture
Gorilla hands are remarkably similar to ours, but there are key differences in the musculature. They have shorter thumbs and longer, thicker fingers designed for knuckle-walking and stripping bark.
- Their dexterity is insane.
- They can pick up a single blueberry without crushing it.
- They have unique fingerprints, just like we do.
Because their fingers are so thick, when they fold their fist, the middle finger often remains slightly prominent due to the way their tendons are tensioned. Sometimes, a "middle finger" is just a result of the way a gorilla holds a piece of food or how they rest their hand while knuckle-walking. But when they look you in the eye while doing it? That’s when the science of "social signaling" kicks in.
Rare Sightings in the Wild
It isn't just zoo animals. There have been reports from field researchers in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and the Virunga Mountains of gorillas using various "obscene-looking" gestures. In the wild, these aren't learned from humans. Instead, they are part of a broader "displacement behavior."
When a silverback is frustrated but doesn't want to commit to a full-blown charge—which is exhausting and risky—he might engage in weird, out-of-context actions. He might rip up some grass, spin in a circle, or poke a finger at an intruder. It’s a way of saying, "I see you, and I’m annoyed, but I’m not going to kill you just yet."
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It's basically the primate version of an aggressive sigh.
Photographer Ricardo Núñez Montero also captured a stunning image of a gorilla named Malabo at the Cabarceno Natural Park in Spain. Malabo was clearly "done" with the paparazzi. He didn't just flash the finger; he held it. It was a clear, sustained message. In these instances, the context matters more than the anatomy. If the animal is showing signs of stress—yawning, tight lips, avoiding eye contact—and then flashes a gesture that we interpret as "f-off," it’s a pretty safe bet that the vibe is negative.
The Viral Impact and Why We Care
Why does this specific image trend every few months? It’s because it shatters our sense of superiority. We like to think of animals as either "beasts" or "pets." When a gorilla gives the middle finger, it occupies a weird middle ground where the animal feels like a person who just happens to have 400 pounds of muscle and a lot of fur.
It’s also about the irony.
We go to zoos to see "nature," and nature looks back at us and tells us to beat it. There is a delicious sort of justice in that. It’s a reminder that these are sentient beings with their own agendas. They aren't just there for our entertainment. If a gorilla is tired of being stared at, why wouldn't he use the most effective tool in his kit to express it?
Misconceptions to Clear Up
A lot of people think these photos are 100% intentional "human" insults every time. That's not quite right.
- Sometimes it’s just a scratch. Gorillas have big nostrils and thick skin; they use their fingers to clean themselves.
- It can be a "false" gesture. Just because it looks like a middle finger to us doesn't mean the gorilla's brain is processing the "middle" digit as special.
- It’s often a coincidence caught at 1/1000th of a second. A photographer takes 500 shots; 499 look like a gorilla sitting there, and one looks like a gesture. That’s the one that goes viral.
But don't let the "coincidence" crowd ruin the fun. The Lope and Malabo cases were sustained. They held the pose. They made eye contact. In those cases, the intent to communicate something was definitely there.
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How to Handle a Grumpy Gorilla (Actionable Advice)
If you ever find yourself on a gorilla trek or even just at a high-end enclosure, understanding their "mood" is vital. You don't want to be on the receiving end of more than just a finger.
Watch the Lips
If a gorilla’s lips are pressed together into a thin line, they are stressed. If they are tucked in, the animal is likely agitated. A "relaxed" gorilla often has a slightly open mouth with the lower lip hanging a bit.
Avoid the Stare-Down
In human culture, eye contact is respectful. In gorilla culture, a direct, prolonged stare is a challenge. If a gorilla gives you the finger and you stare back intensely, you’re escalating the situation. Look away, act bored, and show them you aren't a threat.
Keep Your Distance
This sounds obvious, but people forget. The reason gorillas in zoos get "rude" is because their personal space is constantly being invaded by eyes and lenses. If you're in the wild, the 7-meter (about 23 feet) rule is there for a reason. It’s not just for your safety; it’s to prevent the transmission of human diseases like the common cold, which can be fatal to them.
Lower Your Profile
If a silverback stands up or looks annoyed, crouch down. Make yourself smaller. It's the ultimate sign of "I'm not the boss here, you are." Usually, they’ll relax once they see you’ve conceded the alpha status.
Ultimately, the gorilla giving the middle finger is a perfect bridge between our worlds. It's funny, it's startling, and it's a little bit humbling. It reminds us that we aren't nearly as different from the "wild" as we like to pretend. Next time you see that photo, don't just laugh—take it as a reminder that respect goes both ways across the species line.
To see this behavior in person responsibly, consider booking a trek with the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) or visiting accredited AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) facilities that prioritize primate enrichment and psychological well-being. Watching these animals interact in a complex social environment is far more rewarding than just catching a viral photo; it's a masterclass in non-verbal communication.