Facts about Africa’s mountain gorillas that you should know

Of all the wild life interactions in the world, a chance to see mountain gorillas is the finest. In Kahuzi Biega National Park, mountain gorillas and eastern lowland gorillas are subspecies of the eastern gorillas.

Approximately 900 mountain gorillas remain in the world today, with half of them living in Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Gorilla excursions are also available in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Virungas National Park. Among the distinctive traits that set mountain gorillas apart from other primates are:

Food and Drink

They mostly eat plants because they are herbivores. Fruits, leaves, wild celery, thistles, stinging nettles, bedstraw, and bamboo shoots are the primary foods consumed by mountain gorillas. Even though they are vegetarians, they occasionally catch little insects, ants, and larvae for food.

Live in gorilla groups or families.

Mountain gorillas live in many families, and each member of a particular family has a strong bond with that family. It’s fascinating to note that each gorilla returns to her or his own family after leaving, even if the two or three families cross paths and mix. A family is headed by a dominant silverback and has around 10–30 members. Only eight people are permitted to see a single gorilla family during the year.

The mountain gorilla

When they reach sexual maturity, male mountain gorillas have silvery hair on their backs and capped muscles, giving them an aggressive appearance. Their arms are longer than their legs, and they have big, hairless heads with a glossy black snout, a robust trunk, and a wide chest.

They have mountains.

As their name suggests, mountain gorillas are found in steep areas. The rare species go to the primarily wooded mountain summits. They can withstand the cold at higher elevations thanks to their thick fur.Therefore, gorilla trekking in Africa means traveling through a dense forest—an experience that every visitor will never forget.

Human illness susceptibility

Because they share 98% of human DNA, mountain gorillas are extremely susceptible to human illnesses. The most common ones are airborne, such as cough and flu, which may transfer from person to mountain gorilla. As a result, visitors are instructed to maintain a seven-meter gap between themselves and the gorillas. In virungas, for example, visitors are provided masks to wear over their mouth and nose when they cough and sneeze.

Because they can’t remain in one spot for two nights, mountain gorillas are mobile. Each family, under the leadership of a dominant silver back, departs the location where they slept each morning and relocates. The guards must keep an eye on the gorillas’ sleeping locations so that the trekkers may follow them the next morning since they construct new nests in the nighttime and will not return there the following night.

Procreation

Compared to other wild animals, mountain gorillas reproduce quite slowly. With a gestation period of 8.5 months, the female mountain gorilla gives birth to her first child at the age of 10. Twin births by mountain gorillas are not very common. A young gorilla weighs around 1.8 kg at birth, but it continues to grow until it reaches adulthood, reaching roughly 180 kg.

Thus, to sum up, mountain gorillas are really fascinating creatures to engage with. The roles that each family member plays are similar to those of a genuine human family.

Where Can You See Africa’s Gorillas?

The mountain gorillas may be seen at Mount Mgahinga National Park, Volcanoes National Park, and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. You could expect to spend around three days on safari on a Uganda gorilla safari tour. Two days should be plenty in Rwanda. To experience the finest of East Africa, it’s crucial to include additional safari spots in these states.