Mark David gets kiss from gorilla in Uganda for 60th birthday

For Mark David's 60th birthday, his family took him on a bucket-list adventure.

Because David had long talked about his dream of "tracking gorillas," his family took the California man to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a rainforest animal sanctuary in Uganda.

After a two-hour hike into the sanctuary, the Davids found a family of 12 gorillas and spent over an hour observing them.

David's son, Brandon, posted a video on YouTube of his father's unforgettable encounter with a gorilla.

"Initially my dad did not look him in the eye, but our guide said it was O.K. to look at him. They locked eyes, and then the gorilla decided to get a closer look. My dad swears he was not afraid, but the rest of us sure were," Brandon David emailed ABC News from France, the next leg of his father's birthday adventure.

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"The gorilla breathed hot air into my dad’s ear for a few seconds, then pressed his lips against his cheek. The guide gave a low guttural gorilla noise and the gorilla scampered off. We all commented on how surreal the experience was, and we certainly will never forget it."

He added that the gorillas followed the family "and played around as we sat and ate our lunch (bananas)" as the Davids hiked out of the sanctuary later that day.