Mathieu Shamavu is a park ranger and he has a very important job. The Virunga National Park is home to a gorilla orphanage. This means that Mathieu often functions as the very last line of defense for these precious gorillas. This orphanage is located in the Congo. While he serves as a protector for these gorillas, he is also considered as a family member.

View this post on Instagram

Our mountain gorilla orphan Matabishi and caretaker Matthieu truly are the best of friends! Learn more about the Senkwekwe center and our orphan mountain gorillas on virunga.org/projects/gorilla-orphans #Virunga #NationalPark #senkwekwe #gorillas #gorillaorphans #mountaingorillas #UNESCO #worldheritage #rdc #drc #africa #rumangabo

A post shared by Virunga National Park (@virunganationalpark) on Dec 20, 2015 at 2:12am PST

Ndeze and Ndakazi are just a couple of his friends. These young ladies became orphans when their parents were killed by poachers. Now, Mathieu is doing the best he can to fill the void. He provides these animals with the special care that they need so that they can still lead happy and fulfilling lives. The services that he offers are invaluable.

View this post on Instagram

You might have recently seen caretakers Mathieu and Patrick’s amazing selfie with female orphaned gorillas Ndakazi and Ndeze inside the Senkwekwe center at Virunga National Park. We’ve received dozens of messages about the photo. YES, it’s real! Those gorilla gals are always acting cheeky so this was the perfect shot of their true personalities! Also, it’s no surprise to see these girls on their two feet either—most primates are comfortable walking upright (bipedalism) for short bursts of time. Guys, if you shared our gorilla selfie post, please share our Earth Day posts as well! Conserving Virunga’s amazing wildlife is a constant challenge for the Park and our work wouldn’t be possible without your support. Matching funds have been pledged on every donation to the Park today, up to a total of $25,000—giving us the opportunity to raise $50,000 for Virunga! Visit virunga.org/donate or click the link in our bio to get involved and keep sharing our posts! Thank you! *We want to emphasize that these gorillas are in an enclosed sanctuary for orphans to which they have lived since infancy. The caretakers at Senkwekwe take great care to not put the health of the gorillas in danger. These are exceptional circumstances in which the photo was taken. It is never permitted to approach a gorilla in the wild. #gorillaselfie #gorilla #mountaingorilla #mountaingorillaselfie #selfie #earthday #earthday2019 #virunga #virunganationalpark #congo #drcongo #rdc #drc #protecttheplanet #happyearthday #wildlife #wildlifeconservation #conservation #natureconservation

A post shared by Virunga National Park (@virunganationalpark) on Apr 22, 2019 at 4:03am PDT

Mathieu offers the animals the closeness that they crave. They enjoy each other company’s a great deal and they even take lots and lots of pictures together. Wait until you get a load of the selfies that these gorillas take with their new friend. You know what the say about a picture being worth a thousand words. Well, this picture might be worth a few thousand.

Just look at the poses that these gorillas have come up with. We cannot stop laughing at their poses and facial expressions. These photos are giving us life. Of course, it did not take long for the selfie to go viral. We cannot blame people for wanting to share this photo with all of their closest friends and loved ones. That was our first instinct, too!

View this post on Instagram

Matabishi with gorilla caretaker Matthieu at Senkwekwe Center. Learn more on http://virunga.org/projects/gorilla-orphans #mountaingorillas #Virunga #NationalPark #DRC #senkwekwe #UNESCO #worldheritage #gorillaorphans

A post shared by Virunga National Park (@virunganationalpark) on Oct 12, 2015 at 12:08am PDT

We did not know that gorillas could behave in a such a cheeky way. Maybe it is Mathieu’s fault for bringing it out of them? Either way, this is one of the most adorable stories that we have seen in some time. We commend this man for all of the hard work that he has done. The look of love that the gorillas have when they see him is tough to deny.

He’s changed their lives forever and the gratitude that they possess is tough to deny. His job is a dangerous one and rangers are always at risk of poacher attacks and rebel group strikes. Those who are willing to put their own lives on the line for causes like these deserve all of the respect and admiration in the world. Please be sure to share this awesome story with your friends and loved ones.

Visit Virunga National Park’s website to learn more, and to find out how you can help.

h/t: TheDodo