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A giant gorilla with brooding good looks and rippling muscles is causing a stir at a Japanese zoo, with women flocking to check out the hunky pin-up.

Shabani, an 18-year-old silverback who tips the scales at around 180kg, has become the star attraction at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, striking smouldering poses the movie model in would be proud of.

"He often rests his chin on his hands and looks intently at you," zoo spokesman Takayuki Ishikawa said yesterday.

"He is more buff than most gorillas and he's at his peak physically. We've seen a rise in the number of female visitors - women say he's very good-looking."

Shabani shot to fame after being made the campaign model for the zoo's spring festival earlier this year, Ishikawa said, adding that the ape's paternal skills were also a big hit with women.

"He looks over his children," he said. "Zoo-goers think his kindness is attractive too."

Women have taken to social media to swoon about Shabani's rugged looks, describing him as "ikemen" - or a hunk - and likening him to a male model.

"He will look you in the eye and sometimes if you're taking photos it will look like he's posing for you like a model," said Ishikawa.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Animal attraction: ladieswild over 'hunky' gorilla

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