TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X are infested with debates, think pieces, and jokes about who would win in a fight between 100 men versus a gorilla.
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Honestly, I was steering clear of this ridiculous hypothetical question until Robert Irwin joined the conversation, or shall I say, conservation?
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Robert is the 21-year-old son of the late Australian zookeeper and beloved conservationist, Steve Irwin, aka The Crocodile Hunter.
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Recently, Robert went viral for stripping down to nothing but his Bonds undies to advocate for wildlife conservation, and it certainly got everyone’s attention.
The photographer and legacy zookeeper also announced that he will be on Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars, so it wasn’t surprising that he would join a viral pop culture moment. I believe his response is the most reasonable one I’ve heard yet.
Robert shared a video on his Instagram, saying, “I have been asked this question so much in the last week, it’s ridiculous,” he said. “Like, I’m getting asked in the street now.”
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“Who would win, 100 people or a gorilla?” Robert asked.
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“First of all, I dunno, gorillas are strong, mate. Like, really strong. But it’s 100 people. I’m not sure. Just as an animal conservationist, fighting an endangered species just doesn’t sit right with me.”
“How many people does it take to save gorillas, that is the question we should be asking, because there’s not many of them left,” Robert asked.
According to Endangered Species International, “In recent decades gorilla populations have been affected by habitat loss, disease and poaching. Subsequently all gorilla species are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).”
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Most subspecies of gorillas in Africa, like the Eastern Lowland Gorilla, Mountain Gorilla, and Western Lowland Gorilla, are either endangered or critically endangered. We should take heed of Robert’s words and ask how 100 people can help preserve their existence over fighting them.
“Anyway, the one thing that people aren’t really saying in this whole discussion — yes, gorillas are super powerful, all of that, but also, they’re pretty chilled,” Robert continued. “Most of the time, they kind of just keep to themselves. They’ll defend themselves and protect each other and all of that, but if they don’t really have a reason, they kind of just do their thing.”
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“I guess what I’m trying to say is we don’t need to fight gorillas. Maybe let’s just let this one remain a mystery.”
The internet is in love with Robert’s take on the 100 men vs. a gorilla debate:
One person said, “In summary: Fighting an endangered species is not chic 😂.”
“This is the most Irwin-coded response I could’ve imagined 😂❤️ Protect this family at all cost!” another person exclaimed.
This person asked the real hard-hitting question: “Wait, is it 100 humans or 100 Roberts because that changes the outcome dramatically.”
Another person said, “How many people does it take to save gorillas? You ateeee.”
“This is why we ask you the questions because you always respond with compassion 💖,” another user responded.
Finally, this person said, “Robert Irwin is the voice of reason the world needs. 🥰”
Take the dude who wrangled crocodiles since he was a little kid’s advice — let’s move on from the fighting gorilla debate.
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Protect the endangered species!
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BuzzFeed Community, I want to see if you can come up with your own widely hypothetical questions in the comments, and let’s talk about it. Show me how your brain works. If you want to remain anonymous, use the Google form below.
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