
Gorillas are usually associated with being powerful, intimidating creatures, but these cute pictures show they do have a soft side.

The pictures, taken at the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, show a female gorilla giving her 12-day-old baby all the love and attention it needs.

Part-time photographer Shaadi Faris was lucky enough to get up close and personal with mother and baby and capture the moment of perfect bliss.

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Taken at the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, the pictures show a female gorilla giving her 12-day-old baby all the attention it needs

So often seen as powerful and intimidating here the gorillas can be seen sharing a tender moment in the safety of a family setting

Part-time photographer Shaadi Faris was lucky enough to get up close and personal with mother and baby and capture the images

New Zealand native Shaadi, who lives in Vancouver, Canada, was on a trip to see the gorillas and said they seemed 'incredibly relaxed' in his presence.

'The mother nursing her baby was totally at ease, not taking her gaze off the baby once to look at me,' he said.

'The mannerisms were completely human like, and as a father especially familiar to me. It really solidified, in my mind, the connection between our species.

'The gorillas were incredibly relaxed in my presence. The groups I visited are all habituated to humans and are unsurprised to see us.

'That said, they clearly communicate their mood and as such we are always aware as to how they are feeling regarding our presence.'

Shaadi said that, while seeing gorillas themselves may have been common, he was sure that seeing this sort of interaction between mother and child was 'exceedingly rare'.

'The mother nursing her baby was totally at ease, not taking her gaze off the baby once to look at me,' New Zealand native Shaadi said.

He said, while seeing gorillas themselves may have been common, this sort of interaction between mother and child was 'exceedingly rare'

'Witnessing the tender moment between mother and child gorilla was certainly the highlight of all my visits with the gorillas,' Shaadi said

'Finding the gorillas is not especially rare, in and of itself, but finding a mother gorilla caring for a 12 day old baby is exceedingly rare, I would imagine,' he said.