Gorillas

Gorillas, seen in Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider Anniversary are some of the few primates that Lara Croft has encountered. However, there are smaller monkeys in the India levels of Tomb Raider III and some spectral primates late in The Last Revelation.

Tomb Raider

Gorillas are first seen in St Francis' Folly and are not seen after the Tomb of Tihocan. They are fairly small in comparison to Lara, perhaps only reaching the height of her shoulder. They don't move particularly fast, but are extremely aggressive, though not difficult to get rid of.

Although the word 'Gorilla' was first coined by Hanno the Navigator, a Carthaginian sailor and explorer, it is doubtful whether what he came into contact with were the gorillas we know today. In actuality, it is very unlikely that either the Greeks or the Romans ever came into contact with gorillas. Gorillas inhabited areas of Central and West Africa in dense rainforest and would have been known only to local African tribes. Exotic African animals would have been imported through the province of Egypt, but contact with nations who were familiar with gorillas is unlikely to have been established.

Tomb Raider Anniversary

Gorillas only appear in two levels; the Colosseum and the Palace Midas in the remake. They are completely different to the original's version being twice as tall as Lara and many times her weight. This is a complete exaggeration of a gorilla's physical appearance, though neither of the games portray them accurately.

The Anniversary gorillas are shown to be able to throw objects at Lara but do not do so beyond an initial cutscene. They mainly attempt to run after her and swipe at her with their hands. Often they are encountered in pairs or groups, or in partnership with another type of animal.