Zoo Executive Confirms Gorillas Freak Out When They See Shaquille O'Neal

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According to O'Neal, for whatever reason, gorillas go wild whenever they see him looking at them behind the glass.

"True story," Shaq said in an episode of "The Big Podcast with Shaq" in 2022. "I've been to every zoo in the world and every time I go to the gorilla section, they look at me like, 'Hey man, where your fur at?' For real. That's how they look at me. They also look at me like, 'What am I doing in here and you out there?' And they always go crazy when they see me."

Some might doubt Shaq's gorilla story, but apparently, it was true. In fact, animal expert and communications director for Zoo Miami Ron Magill confirmed it. Magill, who is considered a "zookeeper to the stars," explained that male gorillas were often intimidated by O'Neal's size and presence.

"[The gorilla] gets intimidated and he looks at Shaq and thinks that Shaq is going to take away his girls and he gets tight-lipped and tries to stand up and make himself look as big as possible," Magill said. "But at the end of the day, he backs off. He knows who's boss."

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