10 facts about gorillas – Foundation for Animal Welfare in Germany
- There are two species of gorillas: western gorillas and eastern gorillas. These are in turn divided into two subspecies: the western lowland gorilla, which lives in West Africa, and the Cross River gorilla, which lives on the Nigerian/Cameroonian border. And the mountain gorilla, which lives on the Virunga volcanoes and in the Bwindi forest, and the eastern lowland gorilla, which lives in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Both species are Critically Endangered (IUCN International Union of Conservation of Nature Red List) and classified in Appendix 1 of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) as their populations are still declining and due to the illegal trade are threatened. There are currently 2,600 adult eastern and 360,000 adult western gorillas left in the wild. The three main threats they face are poaching, disease and habitat destruction. Additionally, human unrest threatens the eastern gorilla.
- Mating and births take place throughout the year. Gestation lasts an average of 257 days, and gorillas usually give birth to one child (twin births are about as common as humans).
- Because of their stature and strength, gorillas are often viewed as dangerous and brutal animals. However, gorillas are rarely violent; they are mostly peaceful. A gorilla who believes he or his family is in danger will initially ‘utter’ threats, known as ‘demonstrations’ (the most well-known being chest smacks), to intimidate any adversary.
- Male gorillas can eat up to 30 kg of plants per day and females up to 18 kg. They spend more than 50% of their time eating and foraging.
- Gorillas are neophobic animals. This means they are very sensitive to changes, especially in their environment and environment. Therefore, changes in their habitat have a major impact on them.
- Each evening, gorillas build a nest to roost in, using the available vegetation (pulling, stacking and anchoring branches to form the nest edge and placing leaves in the center for comfort). They usually roost in trees, but they can also roost on the ground (silverbacks are more likely to roost on the ground than females). Each animal builds its own nest, except for the infants, who sleep with their mother.
- Gorillas are the largest primates. Males are larger than females and develop silver hairs on their backs during puberty (around the age of 15), caused by an increase in testosterone.
- The social structure of gorillas is the harem. A group includes one male (called a «silverback»), several females, and their offspring. When they reach sexual maturity, both males and females leave their natal group. The males then usually spend some time alone before forming their own group. The females, however, directly join another group or a single male.