Handsome gorilla draws dazzled crowds to Japanese zoo

If you like 'em tall, dark and handsome — and don't mind a bit of body hair — this guy your soul mate. There's just one catch: he's a gorilla.

But singletons can't afford to be picky, right?

Shabani, a western lowland gorilla who lives at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Japan, is so handsome that zoo attendance has shot up since amorous locals discovered his luscious looks, reports Rocket News.

His rugged brow and piercing eyes are so intense that fans on social media are calling him ikemen (イケメン), a Japanese word usually reserved for describing handsome men.

The great ape has lived at Higashiyama Zoo for years, but has only caught the attention of the public in recent months. Born in the Netherlands in 1996, Shabani lived at Sydney's Taronga Zoo until he relocated to Japan in 2007 for a captive breeding program.

And what a breeder he is: he's reportedly fathered two children.

Shabani is also a man of many talents. When he first came to Higashiyama in 2007, he immediately showed off his tightrope-walking skills:

AFP

And here he is at Taronga Zoo in 2003, when he was a mere six years old:

AAP

Aww.