Go ape! Moment cheeky silverback gorilla makes snowballs at Belfast Zoo after the cold weather closed the attraction to visitors

A cheeky silverback gorilla took advantage of the recent snowfall and showed off his playful side after Belfast Zoo closed its gates due to arctic conditions.

With parts of Northern Ireland covered in snow and ice and a number of schools and roads closed across the region, Belfast Zoo announced on January 16 that the visitor attraction will remain closed until weather conditions improve.

The zoo has one afteralongside a video of the gorilla, to their Facebook page, which reads: ‘Belfast Zoo is closed today due to the winter weather. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”

Out of the public eye, a primate named Gugas began exploring the snow cover that covered the grounds of his enclosure – subtly creating snowballs.

Gugas was filmed on Tuesday by a zookeeper, who captured the fascinating moment in which the silverback displayed an impressive level of creativity and concentration.

Belfast Zoo announced on January 16 that the visitor attraction will remain closed until weather conditions improve

The footage shows Gugas standing on his legs in a bent position, making sure not to place his buttocks on the cold ground.

With his right arm, the gorilla strategically sweeps snow toward him as he focuses on building a snowball from the pile, using his left hand as a base.

Gugas appears to be deeply focused on his task, maintaining eye contact with the pile of snow as he firmly rounds his snowballs.

The motive behind this winter project remains a mystery, leaving zoo staff amused and intrigued by the gorilla’s unique behavior.

The incident has not only brought joy to zookeepers, but has also become a viral hit on social media, with Gugas gaining unexpected fame as a snowballing silverback.

The incident reflects the gorilla’s intelligence and adaptability and has attracted a crowd of eager visitors who await the zoo’s reopening to catch a glimpse of Gugas and his antics in the winter wonderland.

On Belfast Zoo’s Facebook post, the video received more than 2,000 likes from animal lovers, with more than 800 people raving about the gorilla’s antics in the comments.

One person said, “How cute,” while another jokingly said, “He’s trying to make a snow gorilla!”

With his right arm, the gorilla strategically sweeps snow toward him as he focuses on building a snowball from the pile, using his left hand as a base

On Belfast Zoo’s Facebook post, the video received more than 2,000 likes from animal lovers, with more than 800 people raving about the gorilla’s antics in the comments.

One wishful person wrote, “I’d love to see them in the snow,” to which their friend replied, “I’d love to see them one day!”

As Northern Ireland’s capital embraces winter conditions, Gugas’ playful antics are a reminder of the delightful surprises that nature and the great outdoors can bring, even during temporary closures.

Meanwhile, in the United States, a cuddly polar bear at the Buffalo Zoo is making the most of the winter blast and has been filmed rolling around in the snow.

Luna, 11, was spotted making snow angels as small flakes fell from the sky in New York on Tuesday morning.

“Luna celebrates #VictoryTuesday with some polar bear snow angels!” the zoo wrote in the video caption on Instagram.