【Just a Stranger】

How to improve a video of a breakdancing Gorilla in a paddling pool?Just a Stranger

Easy, just add "Maniac" from the Flashdance soundtrack.

You don't believe me? Just watch this:

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

People were mesmerised by the talented animal letting his freak flag fly:

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The gorilla in question is Zola, a Bronx native who is well-known for his dance moves.

Mashable Trend Report Decode what’s viral, what’s next, and what it all means. Sign up for Mashable’s weekly Trend Report newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

"There's a lot more to this behaviour than you may think," Dallas Zoo, where Zola is living now, said.

"Enrichment helps enhance the environment and lives of animals, like Zola, by providing them with mental and physical stimulation to increase natural behaviours. [It] can take many forms, but for this spunky great ape, it means playing and spinning in his favourite blue pool!"

In 2011, a video of Zola breakdancing at Calgary zoo went viral:

The music was added afterwards and the zoo keepers noted that this is not a trained behaviour.

Nobody puts Zola in a corner.

*Via Giphy

*Yes, this iteration is from Flashdancebut we couldn't resist adding a Dirty Dancingtribute to Zola too.

---

Featured Video For You

---

Step up your taco Tuesday game with this tortilla toaster

---

• Digital Culture
• Life
• Games
• Shopping
• Deals
• Tech
• Entertainment
• Social Good

• Robin Triumphant
• A Black Artist Named White by Kerry James Marshall
• Joan Quigley, Ronald Reagan’s Guide to the Stars by Jessica Weisberg
• Poetry Rx: You All Have Lied
• The cicadas aren't invading the U.S.
• The Book I Kept for the Cover
• Redux: The Taxman Cometh
• Whither the Angel in ‘Angels in America’?
• This fat bear's before and after photos are stunning
• Jhumpa Lahiri on Her Work as a Translator

• Resident Evil flounders on Netflix in a half
• Uber messes up Facebook ad by confusing Puerto Rican and Cuban flags
• Male stars will also wear black to Golden Globes to highlight Hollywood sexual misconduct problems
• Prince Harry expertly fields question on whether he's inviting Obama to his wedding
• How to delete books from Kindle
• Remembering all the amazing Obama White House holiday decorations
• Cole Sprouse from 'Riverdale' gave his brother a very interesting Christmas gift
• Steve Mnuchin got something much worse than coal for Christmas
• How to delete your Gmail account
• CNN used the phrase 'a dog's breakfast.' Here's what it means.

• Amazon Prime Grubhub deal: Save $10 off orders of $20 or more
• The Moment of Writing by Amit Chaudhuri
• David Hockney’s Improbable Inspirations
• Arshile Gorky’s Muse Recalls Their First Date
• Today's Hurdle hints and answers for May 12, 2025
• The Age of Wreckers and Exterminators
• All I Want for Mother’s Day Is a Goddamn Drink
• Seven and a Half Short Notes on Sandy Denny
• Put Me In, Coach!
• Will There Ever Be Another Writer Like Philip Roth?

• The cicadas aren't invading the U.S.
• Will There Ever Be Another Writer Like Philip Roth?
• How to Write Personalities for the AI Around Us
• Redux: The Story of the Story by The Paris Review
• NYT mini crossword answers for May 9, 2025
• Farewell, Sergio Pitol
• Listening to Harold Bloom’s Laugh and DeLillo’s Bronx Accent
• Sound Tracks: An Interview with Simone Forti
• New MIT report reveals energy costs of AI tools like ChatGPT
• David Hockney’s Improbable Inspirations