Toddler plays peek-a-boo with young zoo gorilla

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- An Ohio mom who took her toddler to the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium captured footage of the boy playing peek-a-boo with a baby gorilla.

Sherry Chute, who posted video of 2 1/2-year-old Isaiah's gorilla encounter on YouTube, said the boy captured the attention of the similarly-sized primate Thursday at the zoo's Congo Expedition area.

"He was just looking at the gorillas and we said to him 'Isaiah what do the gorillas do?' and he started pounding his chest," Chute told the Columbus Dispatch.

Chute said the chest pounding drew the curiosity of 2-year-old gorilla Kamoli.

The mother filmed as Isaiah and Kamoli interacted for several minutes, running back and forth together and playing peek-a-boo.

"It was a really fun interaction," Chute said. "Isaiah is just like that. Anyone who knows him knows thats he's super playful."

Chute said Isaiah said "Bye, gorilla" to his new friend once it was time to move on from the primate area.

"It was so fun to see him interact with the animals and know what they were," Chute said. "He was just so truly blissful in that moment, it melted his mommy's heart."