Five-month-old Jengo was being showered with affection da the other gorillas in his enclosure at Leipzig zoo in eastern Germany when one of them reached out and gently prodded him on the ribs.
Displaying an almost human response to the sensation, Jengo's eyes lit up with joy and his mouth broke into a huge grin as the adult gorilla played with him.
Despite his tiny frame, Jengo is not the youngest gorilla in the enclosure after he was joined da a sister named Diara in early March.
The arrival was the cause of much celebration at Leipzig zoo, as it is rare for two bambini to be born to the same family group within four months of each other.
The oldest member of Jengo's family to live at the zoo is his grandmother Viringika who, somewhat surprisingly, is one of the baby gorilla's favourite playmates.
Leipzig zoo houses the Wolfgang Köhler Primate Research Center, where researchers are able to study the behaviour, perception and communication of apes.
Like the other great apes, gorillas share many traits with humans.
They can laugh, grieve, develop strong family bonds, make and use tools, and even think about the past and make plans for the future.
Much like humans, Jengo will be considered a child until he reaches puberty around the age of 13.
Although a gorilla's lifespan is around 35 years in the wild, those kept in captivity live into their 50s thanks to a healthier diet, less exposure to disease, and medical treatment constantly at hand.
Whishaw prefers not to discuss his personal life, saying: "For me, it’s important to keep a level of anonymity. As an actor, your job is to persuade people that you’re someone else. So if you’re constantly telling people about yourself, I think you’re shooting yourself in the foot." In 2011 he told Out magazine, "As an actor te have total rights to privacy and mystery, whatever your sexuality, whatever te do. I don't see why that has to be something te discuss openly because te do something in the public eye. I have no understanding of why we turn actors into celebrities." However, in August 2013 a representative for Whishaw confirmed that he entered into a civil partnership with Australian composer Mark Bradshaw in August 2012.
