Mountain gorillas are apes with developed brains, and they are a subspecies of Eastern gorillas. They have been recorded as the most aggressive when disturbed. Physically, they have short arms and black fur which makes them look different from the other types of gorillas. These gorillas share 98% DNA with human beings and hence have behaviors which are almost similar to that man.
These gorillas live in mountainous areas ranging from 4500 meters above sea level and they live in groups or families of 2-40 individuals led by one dominant male that’s always a silverback, this silverback’s role is to protect other members of the family until death and the other silverbacks will remain obedient to the ruling silverback, hoping to take the seat when it dies.
Though others decide to leave with a few females to start their own families. When a female mountain gorilla turns 9 years, it will be old enough to give birth to its offspring and it leaves the group where it grew from. The gestation period for mountain gorillas is 9 months just like human beings and it usually produces one baby at a time. Twins are rarely produced by the gorillas.
Mountain gorillas live in three countries in East Africa which include; Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Uganda, find Mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga gorilla national parks and these two national parks have the highest population of mountain gorillas, in Rwanda, find them in Volcanoes National Park and in Congo, find Mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park. Most travellers come to Africa every year to meet these gentle giants in their natural habitats.
There are two experiences with mountain gorillas. One is mountain gorilla trekking, where you are first briefed when you reach the Park offices about the rules and regulations to follow while trekking and later led to the forest to search for the allocated gorilla group to trek. Trekking the mountain gorillas only allows you to stay in the presence of these endangered apes for an hour as you learn more about them.
Another one is mountain gorilla habituation, where you get to spend 4 hours following these gorillas. This experience is great for people carrying out research on the gorillas and mountain gorilla habituation only takes place in Bwindi in the Rushaga sector with only two groups available for habituation experience. By the time the four hours elapse, you will have recognized that they have similar behaviors to that of human beings.
Mountain gorillas spend most of their time on the ground as they move from one place to another feeding and they mostly feed on ripe fruits, flowers, roots, stems, ants and tree backs. These gorillas don’t feed on meat and 85% of their diet is made up of plants. After feeding the whole day, they will rest on the ground though it is said that most of the primates spend their night in the trees but to the gorillas, it doesn’t work because they are too heavy to climb up and rest. The infants sleep in their mother’s nest until they are adults.
An adult female mountain gorilla weighs about 71 kilograms with 1.5 meters tall and the male weighs about 220 kilograms at a height of 4 to 6 meters tall. The male mountain gorillas are taller than the female, a young-born mountain gorilla weighs 1.8 kilograms.
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