HAMMO the gorilla appeared when Hamilton needed him most.

The ape with ASICs has been hitting the roads around Hamilton to bring smiles to locals in what has been a heartbreaking year.

His nightly runs and unexpected looks quickly became a local sensation, and then an Australian one, reaching tens of thousands through national news and radio with Hammo’s message to find joy and new ways to reconnect with community during COVID-19.

From the outset, his goal has been to keep appearing to spread the love until it was possible to go to the pub, drink a frothy and slow dance with a stranger.

That time has now come, so The Spectator caught up with Hamilton’s newly beloved mascot to talk about the year that has been, what happens to Hammo now, and what the gorilla has brought to this country town.

John Garland: When you first started running in a gorilla suit, what reaction did you hope to create?

Hammo: Suit? What suit?

I initially started running to improve my own mental health during the COVID-19 restrictions.

During my first couple of runs I noticed how much the community was enjoying seeing me out there.

It seems it also provided the community a little break from all the overwhelming COVID news at the time.

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