Zola gorilla
Zola the Dallas Zoo gorilla enjoys some play time in a small pool of water Dallas Zoo

While the rest of us are feeling the heat as this summer picks up by degrees, one resident of the Dallas Zoo in Texas seems to be enjoying some fun time in the water. The zoo's YouTube page uploaded a video shot by zookeeper Ashley Orr, of their gorilla indulging in some fun pool dancing.

Zola, the primate in question, looked as if he was dancing as he spun around, skipped and thrashed his arms vigorously in the water. "Dancing is definitely one of Zola's favorite things to do! Whenever he gets in his pool, this is a common sight," zoo authorities responded to a comment to the video.

"He's playing! Gorillas often like to play in water — in human care and in the wild. This pool is a great source of enrichment for Zola, and he's having an awesome time showing the very silly side of gorillas. He doesn't always receive a pool, but when he does he thoroughly enjoys it."

The dance moves demonstrate play behaviour and an act of enrichment that helps "enhance the environment and lives of animals, like Zola, by providing them with mental and physical stimulation to increase natural behaviours", the video description explained.

Since its release on 20 June, the clip has already gone on to earn over 859,000 views along with some funny comments. "How did you get footage of my husband in our pool?" one user wrote.

As if the spinning gorilla was not enough of a treat, Bob Hagh, a video producer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, created a remix video using Michael Sembello's Maniac track from the 1983 movie Flashdance. One can definitely see the similarities between Jennifer Beals' character's moves and those of Zola.

This particular primate dancer seems to have a history of showing off his moves and according to the zoo, was even filmed break-dancing at The Calgary Zoo back in 2011.