Horrific reason you should not make eye-contact with a gorilla after woman ended up paying the price

In case you didn't know, there's a reason why you shouldn't ever make eye contact with a gorilla.

Something to keep in mind next time you take a trip to the zoo, making eye contact with a gorilla is a huge no-no - and one woman learned the hard way.

Bokito escaped from his enclosure in 2007. (JERRY LAMPEN/AFP via Getty Images)

Back in 2007, a gorilla named Bokito escaped from his enclosure and attacked a woman, causing her serious injuries and leaving her in hospital.

Luckily, the woman survived her injuries and the tale has served as a warning ever since.

The woman was a regular at the Diergaarde Blijdorp zoo in Rotterdam, and was said to regularly smile and make eye contact with Bokito through the glass of his enclosure.

According to reports at the time, it all kicked off at the zoo when Bokito responded to children who had been throwing rocks at him.

He then jumped over his enclosure and attacked the woman who had been making eye contact with him, reportedly dragging her around before biting her and causing multiple fractures.

In the end, Bokito was tranquillised and taken back to his enclosure, but not before he charged into a restaurant and injured three others.

So why did he target that woman in particular?

Well, people think it's all to do with the level of eye contact.

In an interview with newspaper De Telegraaf, the woman later said: "If I laugh at him, he laughs back."

It also turns out that one of the zookeeper's had told the woman not to smile or make eye contact with the animal.

And there's a good reason why.

According to the Gorilla Trek website, making eye contact with a gorilla is a huge no-no.

"To mountain gorillas, any person who keeps direct eye contact with them is a challenger and an enemy who comes to destroy the family," the site explains.

"Direct eye contact will therefore force the silverback to charge and fight you in order to defend his family. If you want to be peaceful with gorillas, you should avoid eye contact."

Four people were injured following the attack. (JERRY LAMPEN/AFP via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, the African Gorilla website echoes this, explaining that instead of holding eye contact, you should 'look down modestly' instead.

"One of the gorilla trekking rules and regulations is not to look a gorilla in the eye," it states.

"You can't make eye contact with a gorilla because it can lead to an attack, as the gorilla may feel threatened.

"You should look down modestly instead."

Noted!