Why the gorillas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom love their towels

From behind the green bushes on the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail at Disney’s Animal Kingdom he emerges. An adult male gorilla pushes the bushes out of the way and struts into the open with towels draped on his head, looking like he’s returning from a day on the beach.

Now, maybe he was just hot from the 90 plus temperature and was looking at a way to cool off and protect his head from the sun. But the towels are important tools for the gorillas, according to Walt Disney World cast members.

The towels, which are upcycled come from Walt Disney World Resorts once they are used by the gorillas for a variety of uses, according to cast members. The gorillas use them to gather food so they can move it from one area of the habitat to another area. They might use the towels to hide their food, or favorite toys. And, yes, even use them for play.

When the temperature gets a little colder in the winter, the gorillas will place the towels on the ground to warm it up. Or in the case of one gorilla below, they might even use it as a beach towel and put it on the sand.