Gorillas in Africa,What you didn’t know about the massive gorillas.
Mountain Gorillas are only in Africa not found in any zoo in the world because they do not survive in captivity and they are only found in three countries: Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and that’s in the areas of Bwindi impenetrable national park, Mgahinga national park, Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga ranges for Congo. Mountain Gorillas, thanks to the conservation efforts are growing in numbers in a dramatic way, Larger buffer zones between parks and the local communities are a priority because preserving and enlarging the Gorilla habitat remains the biggest challenge.
How do Gorillas in Africa look like & Strength?
Usually The Males are two times the size of the females, they may grow to 6ft tall and even weigh 350 -500 pounds. These are strong, with long arms and muscular. The males are referred to as the silverback because as they mature the hair on their back turns somewhat silver, hence the name Silverbacks. The strength of the males is ten times stronger compared to the strongest boxer, even taking steroids. The arms of silverbacks can stretch to 7 feet
Mountain Gorillas possess longer plus darker hair compared to their lowland counterparts because they stay in colder climates and higher altitudes. Their life span is between 40 and 50 years.
The mountain gorillas mainly stay on the ground although they will climb a tree occasionally given that it can support them, however just like children, their young play in the trees.
A fascinating fact is that Gorillas plus Humans are share 98% of their genetic composition.
Where do we find Mountain Gorillas in Africa, and what do they eat?
Uganda has two places where these Mountain Gorillas may be seen, one is Mgahinga Gorilla Park; a stunning park and a component of the Virunga chain of towering volcanoes that extend into the DRC and Rwanda, and then in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest supports the highest Population of Mountain Gorillas with 46% of total mountain gorillas in the world, It is a ancient forest also called the “Place of Darkness.” The tree cover makes it very dark within this forest. The forest’s altitudes are between 1,160m and 2,607m above sea level. The Bwindi plus Mgahinga each possess varying characteristics as well as similarities. The Bwindi is not an extinct volcanic region while the Mgahinga is.
Mgahinga Gorilla Park sits on higher altitudes and the Mountain Gorillas move up and feed on some of the afro-montane vegetation. Typically Mountain Gorillas eat large quantities of flowers, leaves, fruit, roots, bamboo and shoots in season. The Adults can consume up to 75 pounds each day.
The day of a Mountain Gorilla starts at 6 am up to 6pm with a snooze around lunch time. Uganda receives Light just past 6 am and darkness falls around 7pm.
These move every day to different locations where they make nests using twigs plus leaves and spend their night. Some people have found these reasonably comfortable, just enough to actually slumber in.
Are Mountain Gorillas Dangerous Species? Will the hurt me during the trek ?
Visitors into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest frequently inquire if mountain gorillas are dangerous? Although dominant and very strong, these are gentle as well as shy, and in addition the mountain gorillas which visitors see within Uganda have been habituated. In other words they are habituated to people, which process that takes close to 2 years. Dian Fossey actually was against the idea of visiting mountain gorillas which is done today, however it’s the money collected that survival of this endangered species, and seen their number increase over the recent years.
While mountain gorillas are threatened they do attack so as to protect their very own. When different Mountain Gorilla groups meet, there is a fight between the leader Silverbacks to death. Recently 2 Silverbacks fought within Democratic Republic of Congo and the rangers had to intervene.
How do mountain gorillas leave and communicate?
Mountain gorillas leave in groups which differ in size from 2 – 30 or 40, however commonly in groups of 10. There is no specific mating season while babies are born through the year. The Males begin breeding at around 15 years while the females start giving birth between 10 and 12 years. Females can give birth after every 2 to 3 years giving birth to 4 – 6 offspring through their lifetime.
Males leave their group at about 11 years of age, while a little over half of the females will leave their group.
Mountain gorillas communicate through sounds like roars, grunts and shouts, and 25 sounds currently have been documented by researchers.
Predators of Mountain Gorillas in Africa
The supreme threat to the Mountain Gorillas is human encroachment for settlement around them. previously there was a slash as well as burn mentality however, through an educational program by the Uganda Wildlife Authority plus cash motivation to the community through the tourism industry that the gorillas within Uganda are today no longer as threatened by various poachers as it was in the DRC. Additionally they are threatened by various diseases transmitted by human visitors into the park, and for that reason the Uganda Wildlife Authority has set up strict rules to prevent spreading of such diseases.
Where Can I See Mountain Gorillas in Africa?
Gorillas are mainly divided into the mountain and the lowland with a couple of other sub-species in that. For Mountain Gorillas can only be in Rwanda, Uganda and the Republic of Congo. Cameroon and other west African Countries for the lowland gorillas. It is also possible to find mountain gorillas within the DR of Congo however due to the instabilities within the country, it has been challenging in some areas.
In case you are thinking about the differences between lowland gorillas and the mountain gorillas you can check out their pictures. ) these pictures say it all:
Generally, the lowland gorillas are smaller and have brownish-gray far coats and a distinct brow ridge, whereas the mountain gorillas are larger with darker black coats. The Mountain gorillas are the most uncommon primates in the entire world with less than 1000 surviving in the African wilderness. on the contrary there are more than 100,000 lowland gorillas just in the Republic of Congo.
