Facts about mountain gorillas : Facts about Mountain Gorillas Mountain gorillas are a significant attraction for the countries of Eastern Africa, and they are exclusive to the African continent. The mountain gorilla safari in any of the destinations is one of the greatest and most life-altering African safaris one could choose to participate in or schedule, primarily due to what makes mountain gorillas stand out.
There are four species of gorillas, with mountain gorillas being one of them. Cross River gorillas, Eastern lowland gorillas, lowland gorillas, and the renowned mountain gorillas are the four varieties.
Mountain gorillas are endemic to the Albertine Rift and can be visited in three countries but four destinations: the Virunga national park in Congo, the Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, the Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park, and the Mgahinga gorilla national park in Uganda. The mountain gorillas can only be observed in their natural habitat, unlike other gorilla species that can be found in zoos around the globe. This implies that these are the only countries where mountain gorillas can be observed in the wild. The mountain gorilla cannot endure in captivity and can only survive in the wild.
The mountain gorillas are distinguishable from the other four gorilla subspecies in terms of physique, size, lifestyle, and a number of other characteristics. The mountain gorillas can be distinguished from the western and eastern lowland gorillas, which have brown fur, by their dense, pure black fur.
The limbs of the mountain gorilla are significantly longer than those of the lowland gorilla. The IUCN no longer classifies mountain gorillas as critically endangered; their population is now estimated to be approximately 1,000 individuals. In this article, key facts about the mountain gorilla are discussed. According to the most recent census, there are currently 1,063 mountain gorillas, and this increase can be attributed to the conservation efforts of the national parks that are home to mountain gorillas.
Mountain gorillas reside at altitudes of approximately 4,500 metres and typically on mountain slopes, so you should anticipate some hiking during this safari activity. The mountain gorillas thrive best in high altitudes, which is why they are known as “mountain gorillas.” These altitudes tend to be cold, which is why mountain gorillas have thick fur to keep them warm.
Even though they still walk on four legs and have an untamed disposition, mountain gorillas are extremely intelligent, human-like beings. Mountain gorillas share 98% of human DNA, which gives them the intelligence to hunt, care for their offspring, and identify themselves in similar ways to humans. Similar to how humans have fingerprints, mountain gorillas have a unique identifying feature on their nostrils.
Gorillas live in social groups of 3 to 40 individuals, led by a dominant male known as the silverback gorilla, who has grey hair at the root of his back, just as humans have a head of the family who is the father. There may be more than one silverback gorilla in a gorilla group, but the strongest silverback, who is recognized as the true leader, will command the rest of the gorillas.
The silverback gorillas that do not wish to be led will abandon their primary gorilla group and form their own with a few females in order to reproduce and grow their group. These silverbacks that abandon the family are typically brothers or relatives of the dominant silverback gorilla.
Mountain gorillas may enjoy the altitude, but they spend the majority of their time napping or on the ground, observing the younger gorillas in the trees. Most primates enjoy being in the trees, but a mature mountain gorilla’s weight and girth make it impossible for a branch to remain intact.
These mountain gorillas appear frightening, but you would be astonished by their gentle nature; they will only react when provoked, which is a defense mechanism. During your mountain gorilla trek, you will observe how peacefully they pass their time in the wild, in contrast to the chimpanzees that you will observe swinging from one tree branch to the next and acting aggressively within their social group without provocation.
Mountain gorillas are omnivores that consume tree bark, leaves, flowers, tree roots, snails, and small ants, but never meat. An adult male silverback can consume up to 18 kilograms of vegetation per day to maintain his weight. Their natural habitat is typically cold, so they must consume enough food to generate enough heat to stay comfortable.
Female mountain gorillas typically abandon their father’s family once they reach sexual maturity in order to mate with a male and produce offspring. Similar to humans, the gestation period of mountain gorillas is nine months. The mountain gorillas typically give birth to a single infant, but very rarely give birth to twins. This is extremely uncommon because the female gorilla’s weight may not allow her to carry two infants.
A typical male mountain gorilla can weigh up to 180 kilograms and is approximately 170 centimeters tall, which necessitates a hefty diet to support their bulk.
There are approximately 16 distinct types of calls or sounds that mountain gorillas use to warn one another of impending peril or to attract attention.
There are approximately 900 of them left in the wild, with half living in Uganda and the remainder in Rwanda and the DRC.
Gorillas exhibit human-like emotions, as they can laugh when tickled and weep when injured.
They consume roughly 50 pounds per day for males.
They typically do not consume water because they obtain the water they require from plants.
They construct infant beds from the branches and leaves of vines.
A young gorilla weighs approximately 4.5 pounds.
Gorillas typically walk on all four extremities and only use their feet for brief periods of time.
Gorillas have no tails.
Gorillas are extremely intelligent, and those that have been socialized have learned sign language to communicate with humans.
Every evening, gorillas construct a nest for sleeping, and occasionally a nest for a midday snooze.
The term “silver back” refers to the silvering of a man’s back hair as he reaches adulthood.
Gorillas have a maximum lifespan of 53 years.
After ten years, female gorillas reach the reproductive stage.
Females typically give birth every four to five years with a gestation period of eight to nine months.
These are some of the facts about mountain gorillas you may need to know about gorillas in order to be prepared for an encounter with these beautiful creatures. Reserve your safari to one of the four destinations in East Africa to see and learn more about these endangered primates today.