Mountain Gorilla Facts
Mountain Gorilla Facts: Looking for strange mountain gorilla facts? The endangered mountain gorillas can be found in east and central Africa. This unique species can only be encountered in Rwanda, Uganda and Congo on gorilla trekking safaris. Mountain gorillas live in the forested mountain slopes of Virunga Mountains and in Bwindi impenetrable forest in Uganda.
Facts about Mountain Gorillas
Fact 1 – Mountain gorillas are an endangered species with less than 1000 of them living. Their main threat is poaching, civil wars, habitat loss, diseases, they are also sold as pets and animals for private zoos though conservation efforts have led to the increase of mountain gorillas.
Fact 2 – Mountain gorillas are herbivores animals. They feed on shoots, roots, stems, tree bark, fruits, pulp, plants and wild celery. The baby mountain gorillas breast feed and join adult diet when their about 3-4 years old, mountain gorillas don’t take water because they take enough moisture from their diet.
Fact 3 – Mountain gorillas are nomadic this is because they build new nests everyday moving around their home range, they make their nests on top of trees using bent branches and grass.
Fact 4 – Mountain gorilla families are led by a dominant male known as a Silverback because of the golden fur found on their backs, they can live in groups of up to 30 members consisting of females, young males and baby gorillas.
Fact 5 – Mountain gorillas are also known to be very intelligent, this is seen in most gorillas that have been captivated they have learnt to communicate to people using sign language.
Fact 6 – Mountain gorillas are about bigger than other species of gorillas, they have short hair and arms than other gorillas. Mountain gorillas also have an additional crest of fur in their foreheads, the thick fur on the bodies of mountain gorillas helps them when the weather in the mountain gets too cold.
Fact 7 – Mountain gorillas are gentle and calm animals, however they should be treated with caution because they can become very aggressive. When disturbed, a female can fight to death for their young ones while the males can roar, hoot, bark, beat his chest thunderously, throw things and charge.
Fact 8 – The Silverbacks are always in control of the groups, they organize group activities for their groups and all the others in the group follows.
Fact 9 – New born mountain gorillas are tiny weighing about 2 kilograms, the females can start producing at 10 years and they get pregnant for 9 months like humans they cling on their mothers backs for 2-3 years then they can move on their own. Female mountain gorillas produce 5-6 offspring’s in a life time.
Fact 10 – Baby mountain gorillas and human babies almost have the same similarities in mostly characters apart from vegetation. They love to play together chasing each other and swinging on trees.
Fact 12 – Mountain gorillas have their own physicians who make forest calls to the great apes and monitor each mountain gorilla family and treat them this has greatly led to the increase in mountain gorilla numbers.
Fact 13 – Mountain gorillas communicated with each other using grunts, chest beatings, hoots, gestures and other signs. They have a higher larynx than humans and also have a soft palate which isn’t large enough for sounds to resonate.
Fact 14 – Mountain gorillas use tools for example they use stems for getting insects or ants from trees or the ground while others put logs on streams for other gorillas to cross.
Fact 15 – Female mountain gorillas have long term relationships with male gorillas other than fellow female gorillas. Some primatologists consider the mountain gorillas in Bwindi national park in Uganda to be another sub species but there’s no conclusion to ascertain this yet
Fact 16 – Gorillas have a nose print such as a thumb print in humans; this can be used for identification of members in the family.
Fact 17 – Mountain gorillas are considered to be an endangered species.
Fact 18 – Mountain gorillas cannot survive in zoos; you can only visit gorillas in the wild. Their love for the wild makes them wither and die when captivated.
For a fascinating encounter with mountain gorillas, please visit Rwanda, Congo or Uganda. The gorilla permits in each country differ, your choice of where to trekking will depend on your budget.
