A gorilla was spotted casually strolling through a Riyadh street over the weekend, sending Saudis into a complete frenzy. This came after images capturing the animal walking down a local highway went viral on Saudi Twitter.
According to Al Sabeel news site, the gorilla was on the loose for half an hour before the matter was reported to police, who have since launched a search for him. Many claimed the animal was being kept as a pet in a house close to where he was seen walking.
Even though it remains unconfirmed whether this is the latest case of an animal escaping captivity, it isn't uncommon for Gulf nationals to illegally import wild animals and keep them as pets.
"Riyadh's Gorilla" went viral all over Twitter
Just hours after images of the animal started making the rounds online, tweeps launched a hashtag titled "Riyadh's Gorilla" in response to the news.
Understandably, people were quite shocked at first
But then they figured something out...
"Once they let out a lion, then a tiger, then a gorilla"
"It looks like someone has a zoo in their house and they let out an animal every now and then."
People believed in Saudi Arabia's uniqueness
Of course, humor took over the news
"Ah my heart, he must be looking for her"
And Dwayne Johnson was called for help
"If you've travelled for the summer, you're missing out"
The Riyadh Gorilla memes were out of this world
And they were endless
"Me when someone moves my charger"
"The same story, but you favor Westerners"
Humor aside though, some raised this serious issue
"Many are using this hashtag to make a joke out of this poor animal. Is there any living creature who can walk on cement in this heat? I saw him go into a building to find shade. Don't bring animals into an environment they can't live in. If they escape and get lost, how are they going to survive?"