We all know how large and imposing our man Shaq can be. Now it seems, members of the animal kingdom see it, too. Weird story…read on.
Admit it – when you go to the zoo, you’re one of those people that makes faces at the animals, or tries to talk to them, aren’t you? Sure. Most of us do that, especially the playful types. (Talking about people, not the animals…) And since we know that Shaq is probably the biggest, most playful kid we know (even as an adult), we might expect the same thing from him. Well, seems it works both ways.
On a recent episode of “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” the former L.A. Lakers superstar talked about how – when he visits zoos and animal parks – the giant-sized gorillas “freak out” when he shows up. Not only that, O’Neal says some of the big gorillas seem like they want to fight him!
To confirm the strangeness, O’Neal put in a call to an executive from Zoo Miami – right there on the podcast – to confirm the story.
All this got started when Shaq (on the podcast) started talking about him giving consideration to the idea of letting his gray hair grow out. (That would be an interesting look, wouldn’t it?) Anyway, Shaq jokes he’s be a “silverback” gorilla and not a “silver fox.” For those who don’t know, silverback gorillas are the really big, really loud animals you see on TV and in the movies. Pretty wild!
Shaq is definitely an animal lover and fan. He travels to visit animal parks and rescue operations frequently. Talking about this particular story, Shaq said the big gorillas must see something in him that sets them off:
Shaq: “True story. 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. 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.”
O’Neal is definitely a big critter. At 7 foot 1 inch and 325 pounds, perhaps the animals can’t quite figure out what he’s all about. On the podcast, Shaq talked to Zoo Miami Communication Director and animal expert Ron Magill.
Magill is sometimes described as the “zookeeper to the stars” and is a bit of a celebrity in his own right. Magill not only confirmed the story but also took it a step further by explaining that the male gorillas are intimidated by Shaq.
Magill said it may be that gorillas “gets intimated, 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.”
Shaq then added that it is the same at every zoo. “Every zoo in the world they go crazy,” Shaq said. “They try to break out the damn thing and try to fight me.”
Interested in hearing more? Check out Shaq’s latest podcast episode below: