Mountain Gorilla – What is a mountain gorilla?
This great ape is one of the world’s largest living primates and one of the two subspecies of the eastern gorilla, the apes have muscular arms, a massive chest, and broad hands and feet, and they have longer fur and shorter arms than their cousins – the lowland gorillas. Their thick black fur helps insulate them from cold weather.
Scientific name – Gorilla beringei ssp. beringei
Weight – 135 to 220 kilograms (300 to 485 pounds)
Size – 1 to 2 meters tall (4 to 6 feet)
Life span – Generally unknown but data shows up to 40 to 50 years
Habitat – Dense forest, rainforest, bamboo forest, mixed forest, subalpine grassland on the volcanic peaks
Diet – Herbivorous
Gestation – About 8.5 months
Predators – Predominately humans, occasionally leopards
Behaviors
The silverback gorilla protects what matters most
Mountain gorillas are tremendously social and live in groups of two to 4 led by a dominant male, a silverback that is the chief leader and protector. The majority of males leave their biological groups around the age of 11 years old. Some move alone and others breakaway with other males for a few years until they attract females to join them, the silverback leads the group to the best spot for feeding and resting through the year.
Generally, conflicts are resolved through standoffs and intimidating behaviors meant to frighten intruders away without causing physical harm. However, almost 10 times stronger than the biggest HUMAN BEING, a silverback protects its group from threats, even if it means sacrificing his own life.
Mountain gorilla infants develop twice as fast as humans
The female gorilla usually gives birth when she turns 10 and has offspring very four or more years. Newborns are weak and weigh only about four pounds. Their first movements are awkward, similar to a human infant, but they develop twice as fast. Infants nurse and are gradually weaned after they turn three when they are more independent. Unfortunately, infants are more targeted by poachers.
Diet
Mountain gorillas are primarily herbivores
These great apes can eat as much as 18 kg (40 lb) of vegetation each day. They favor celery, thistles, wood, and roots, and they rarely need to drink because they consume succulent vegetation which is full of water as well as morning dew.
Where do mountain gorilla live?
These great apes live in three countries spanning four national parks, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and Virunga National Park.
Challenges fenced by Mountain Gorillas
Humans are the biggest threat to mountain gorillas, always pushing mountain gorillas out of the wild and into extinction. Human encroachment, political instability and forest degradation are the biggest threats to this once critically endangered great ape’s survival. Only about 1,000 of these great apes remain in the wild, according to the most recent census. Their sanctuary in Virunga National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Volcanoes National Park are fertile and rich in biodiversity making it one of the most populated regions in Africa. As people move closer to these endangered apes, they also bring the risk of human diseases such as flu, pneumonia, and even Ebola. Increasing human populations and continued encroachment pose serious threats to this great ape’s habitat.
Further more
War in the Democratic Republic of Congo has resulted into more than four million humans live lost over the past 14 years. The political instability and pressure from the rebel groups throughout the area put pressure on Virunga National Park, placing this great ape in the middle of this social and economic crisis.
Locals depend on natural resources and wildlife based tourism for their welfare, which closely links the ape’s future with peace and prosperity through land.