Mountain Gorillas are the most attractive and best visited wild apes on the African continent which can be only found in three East African countries such as Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mountain gorillas are the ground-dwelling herbivorous great apes that inhabits the montane rain forests of Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park both found in the southern western direction of Uganda and in the bamboo rain forest of Volcanoes national park in Northwestern region of Rwanda and in Virunga national park in Congo. However, many prefer to know the general facts about mountain gorillas as being listed below;
- Where do mountain gorillas survive or live?
The critically endangered mountain gorillas do not survive in zoos only the lowland gorillas of western Africa, mountain gorillas they live in forests only.
- Why are they called mountain gorillas?
The endangered mountain gorillas are the largest primates that live at an elevation ranging between 1500 to 4000-meters which are closely related to human genes of about 99% DNA. Definitely where mountain gorillas inhabit the area seems to be cold in the montane rain forest of Bwindi impenetrable forest and Virunga volcanoes that’s why they have thick fur. In the world, there are about 880 mountain gorillas of which 400 plus live in Uganda’s Bwindi impenetrable forest and the rest live in Rwanda’s volcanoes national park and Congo’s Virunga national park.
- Mountain gorilla are healthy
Mountain gorillas cannot live without being vaccinated because they are closely related to human genes about 99% DNA and easy be affected with human disease such as flue, diarrhea so these great apes have got their own physicians who keep on visiting each gorilla family in the forest to monitor on their health through giving inoculation and vaccinating them.
- Mountain gorillas do not have a home
Mountain gorillas do not have permanent home base as for them they keep on migrating from place to place but within the same forest since they live in a territory and each night they sleep in a different bed made of branches, leaves, and twigs of which they move a few meters away each day in their territory some time they might even move to another neighboring country like from Uganda and Rwanda or the Democratic Republic of Congo. The reason as to why you trek mountain gorillas is because they keep on moving each day in order to locate them. The split of down purse trekkers is the one to first go out and find the gorilla family you will be visiting after he has to give the feedback of new location to the rangers that will lead or accompanies you to the respective gorilla family that will be encountered on that day
- Mountain Gorillas communicate with one another
Although Mountain gorilla seems to be 99%DNA to human genes, they have a higher muscular organ form than for the humans and a soft palate which is weak enough for reverberating sound and you should know that mountain gorillas do not communicate with verbs, nouns, sentences with each other by grunts, hoots, chest-beating, gestures, and symbols.
- Mountain gorillas have huge body but not fat.
Mountain gorillas are huge apes but not fat which are vegetarian wild primates that feed on a pure plant-based diet on leaves, small insects like caterpillars, reptiles, fruits. They consume over 60 pounds of leaves vegetables, fruits each day. To note, many have failed to understand that having the big stomachs means to be fat not knowing that each day they feed on bulky diet which makes them have a large stomach.
- Facts about silverback mountain gorillas.
The silverback gorilla is a sign of maturity in the gorilla group who heads the territory in each of the family. There is also younger male mountain Gorillas called black-back and when black-back gorillas grow up it develops a saddle-shaded silver-haired back with the role of protecting the young gorillas in the family group.
- Mountain Gorillas babies are smaller than human babies.
The answer is no because when they are born they weigh 3 to 4 pounds smaller than normal human babies, different from humans which grow up into 500-pound primates.
- The greatest threat to mountain Gorillas.
Mountain gorillas do not have many natural enemies unless they are being attacked through poaching the snares set for small antelopes, killing and trapping them as well as human encroachment in their habitats like the charcoal logging in Congo.
- They have rare and Unique Nose prints.
Gorillas look like humans since they are close related to human DNA, so whatever they have on their bodies is 99% of the human genes. They have unique fingerprints and nose prints that each looks different from all other gorilla individuals. And other unique feature of these apes is to take care of them like human being in way to survive in the wild by help of the wildlife Authorities ,researchers ,doctors who monitors them almost on daily basis to vaccinate those have been injured and sick in order to save them in wild ,to keep track of births ,deaths and to those which are migrating from the family. All this helpful data is not only to protect the gorillas but as well as to maintain the population growth of which it offers the best enjoyable and memorable experience for tourists.
- Mountain gorillas are Nomads
The mountain gorilla’s family does not live in one area like normal, on a daily basis they keep traveling a few kilometers from where they were displaying their nests in search for food.
- Mountain gorillas are acratically endangered species.
These gorillas are intelligent wild ape species which are famously known that their number is increasing each year among the IUCN’s critically endangered list.
- Aggression
They have rare stable families but aggression happens when the two mountain gorilla groups meet that is the ‘’two silverbacks can sometimes engage in a fight to the death using their canines to result in gaping injuries. The all succession involves in nine steps;
- [1] symbolic feeding
- [2] progressively Quickening hooting
- [3] rising bipedally
- [4] chest-beating with Cupped hands
- [5] throwing Vegetation
- [6]one leg kick
- [7] sideways running with two-legged to four-legged
- [8] slapping and tearing Vegetation and
- [9] thumping two Silverbacks the ground to end display among them.
Currently, the two silverback in Virunga national park in Congo fought and it intervened in the ranger. Mountain gorillas live in groups of 5 to 30 individuals but most often in a group of 11 individuals in the family. The gorilla family are called troops and are made of offsprings, female gorillas, black backs and the head of the family famously known as a silverback.
The female mountain gorillas give birth every two to three years at a birth rate of 4 to 6 offspring during their lifespans as well as male mountain gorillas begin breeding at about 15 years of age.
- Mountain gorillas are as shy as they are strong.
The fact is that the gorillas will never cause any danger when you’re facing it. What you need to do is to look directly into their eyes. Though sometimes they can be threatened by aggressive of which you should be aware. The head of the group will often charge at the threat and female mother gorillas will fight to the death to protect their young ones.
- Mountain gorillas live only in Africa.
Mountain gorillas can be found in only three protected national parks of East Africa within Uganda’s famously visited Bwindi impenetrable forest, Mgahinga gorilla national park located in the south western region, Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in Congo.
- The physical description of Mountain gorillas.
These gorillas are thicker and longer than of other gorilla species that live in the colder temperature.
The male gorilla weight over 195 kilograms at the upright standing height of over 168 centimeters.
The female gorilla weight at around 100 kilograms with a height of 140 centimeters.
Adult male gorilla has more noticeable bony crests on the very top and back of their skulls which makes their head more conical shape and they are called silverbacks because the hair develops on their backs with age.
Mountain gorillas are always active between 6:00am – 6:00pm many of its hours are spent eating as bulky quantities of food are needed to sustain its massive body.
- The circle lifespan of these gorillas.
The life span of the mountain gorilla is from 35 to 40 years old in the wild.
The female gorillas give birth to one baby after its gestation period to note they give birth at nine months just like Human being.
The female gorillas’ sexual maturity is about 10 years old and 15 to 20 years old for male gorillas.
Conclusively, Mountain gorillas are the most attractive animal, worth to be visited and high light experience journey of a lifetime with them. Visit one of the three gorilla national parks and enjoy in so rewardable and memorable experience of gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience. At a fee of USD600 per person and by 1 July 2020 it will be increased from USD600 to USD700 person per trek in Uganda’s Bwindi impenetrable national park and gorilla habituation costs USD 1500 which can be only carried in Bwindi not even in Rwanda or Congo, In Rwanda gorilla permits costs USD 1500 person per trek in one of gorilla family in Volcanoes national park, Congo permits costs USD400 in order to engage this amazing activity of gorilla trekking in Virunga national park.
