What Mountain Gorillas Eat | Feeding Habits

Many people are curious about the diet of mountain gorillas. The primary food sources for mountain gorillas include fruits, bamboo stems, shoots, and vegetarian diets. However, the type of environment they live in and the time of year affect what they eat.

Green plants are the food source for mountain gorillas. It should be noted that mountain gorillas eat a lot of seeds and tree barks to obtain water during dry seasons.

Thirty different plant species provide sustenance for the mountain gorillas that live in the forests of Rwanda, Congo, and Uganda (Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park). The majority of gorillas are observed climbing trees of all ages, though, because they also consume a tiny portion of the fruits.

Gorillas eat

A female gorilla eats 18 kg of food per day, but an adult gorilla can eat up to 30 kg. In addition to breaking down the toxic materials in their food, gorillas consume a lot of soil, which also provides nutrients that are absent from the food they eat on a daily basis.

Although gorillas are unable to eat large creatures, they do devour insects and other tiny animals, yet this makes up only 1% of their diet.

These untamed primates use their powerful chewing muscles to break down their meal. Although adult gorillas do not utilize their long, pointed canines for feeding, they do use them as a defensive tool to bite their opponents and other gorillas. Gorillas’ teeth are similar to those of humans.

They will eat, enjoy themselves, and occasionally fall asleep after eating if they are in an area with a plenty of food. Depending on the location, they roam around the forest in search of food from various trees, rising to the top and feeding on the bottom.