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GORILLAS IN AFRICA


FACTS ABOUT GORILLAS Gorillas Rwanda Uganda

  • Description
  • Habitat and diet
  • Social structure
  • Behavior
  • Vocalization and fears.

DESCRIPTION:
From the primate family, we find the precious gorillas whose appearance varies basing on the sub species.
There varying species include,
Eastern Gorillas (Gorilla beringei): Known to be the largest living primates and a re classified in to the Eastern lowland gorillas and Mountain gorillas

Mountain Gorillas

COMMON NAMES:


LANGUAGE

NAME

English

Mountain Gorilla

French

Gorille de montagne

German

Berggorilla

Gorila Montañés

Gorila Montañés

Gorillas rank among the rarest animals in the world with a distribution of two populations. The Central African Virunga volcanic mountains being one of the homes to the mountain gorillas in its 3 national parks namely, Virunga in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Volcanoes in north-western Rwanda and in Mgahinga in South western Uganda.
Bwindi Impenetrable National park hosts the largest number of the existing mountain gorillas in the world. The mountain gorillas have become the major attraction and give visitors a memorable a true treat of the pearl of Africa with reward sightings in to their brown eyes with a hike safari to Bwindi and Mgahinga.
The estimated number of mountain gorilla’s world wide is 790 and this prime primate was not known to scientists until 1902.
Distinctiveness

  • The mountain gorillas are vigorous and thick bodied with long fur compared to other gorilla species and this helps them endure colder temperatures.
  • They are prime amongst the existing primates and have short hunks with broad chests and shoulders.
  • Each being of the mountain gorilla has unique fingerprints just like humans.
  • They feature dark brown eyes framed by a black ring around the iris.
  • Their arms are longer than their legs.
  • Males develop a steak of silver hair on their backs when they mature thus the name silver back gorillas.
  • Male gorillas are bigger than the female gorillas where by adult males weigh up to 400 pounds and female 200 pounds.
  • The bony crest of an adult male is more pronounced than that of an adult female with the top back of their skulls that give their heads a more conical shape than the females.
  • Their life span is approximated between 30- 40 years.
  • Reproduction can happens through out the year with a gestation period of 8.5 months.

Habitat and diet:
The two groups of the mountain gorillas in Africa inhabit the Virunga volcanoes and the Albertine rift montane cloud forests with an altitude of 1,650-3,790 meters / 5,413-12,435 feet. They are known to inhabit tropical rainforests characterized by having dissent temperatures around 23°C with a 12hours length day light and are often cold, cloudy and misty.
The availability of food sources in an area determines the home range and size of the mountain gorillas during the year.  It has been reported that mountain gorillas spend most of their times where gallium vines are found year round in the Hagenia forest (2,800 - 3400 Meters). During a few months of the year they travel to the bamboo forests (2,200 – 2,800 Meters) for fresh food with access to the soft centers of the giant senecio trees in the subalpine region.
They are generally herbivores, with a diet mostly composed of 142 plant species with a composition of shoots, stems and leaves (85.8%), barks (6.9%), roots (3.3%), flowers (2.3%), fruits (1.7%) with a diet of small invertebrates of 0.1% . the quantities consumed by the gorillas varies from the sex. Females consume about 18 kilograms a day 16 kgs less than the 34 kilograms consumed by males in a day.


Social structure and behavior:
Of all the gorilla species, mountain gorillas are extremely social and live in unified stable groups of about 12 animals with 1 or more dominant silverback. The average group size is ten composing of one silverback, who is the group's undisputed leader; one or two black backs, who act as sentries; three to four sexually mature females, who are ordinarily bonded to the dominant silverback for life; and from three to six juveniles and infants.
Males migrate from their natal groups when they are 11 years but travel on their own for a period of 2-5 years before they can attract females.
In the groups formed, 61% are composed of one adult male among various females while 36% of the groups formed comprise of more than one adult male.
Silver blacks (adult males) are the dominates and this gives them influence over the other member groups. They determine the group movement in search for food and security through out the year. They are always looked at in terms of protection by the females and young ones who even indulge them in their games. They are well known of protecting their groups more than their territories.
It is a sad story to the young ones at the death of the family head silver black after a disease attack, accident or poaches without leaving behind a capable descendant for his position. A new silverback outside the group can take position in the group and which may be unfortunate to the members since he may kill all the infants of the deceased silverback. Despite the occurrence of infanticide in unstable family groups, the practice can not be traced in stable family groups.
Affiliation:
With in the mountain gorilla families, the rest period during the midday period is used for reinforcing relationships within the group. Females are known for grooming the young ones during this time though mutual grooming is alleged a social bond reinforce as the young gorillas play with the adults to familiarize with the family behavior and means of communication. This can be reflected in games like wrestling, somersault and chasing among others.
Fears and Vocalization:  
Studies have proved that these endangered primates are scared of certain reptiles especially the young ones who can not imagine a step to take when they come across a caterpillar or a chameleon while playing or moving around. Despite their being of forest habitats, mountain gorillas have a dislike for rain and fear for   water. This can be seen when they try their best to cross a stream with out getting wet.
Vocalization of the mountain gorillas has been classified under 25 distinct that are commonly used during intergroup communications where by sounds like grunts and barks are mostly used or heard when the gorillas are travelling for communicate their location to the family members.
Screams and roars are   usually made by the silverbacks to signal warning to the family members in case of any danger detections.  During feeding and resting times, deep rumbling belches are usually herd when there is contentment among the members.                             

Eastern Lowland Gorillas

They are scientifically referred to as the Gorilla beringei graueri and they can only be spotted with in the boundaries of Kahuzi-Biega National Park among the host forest of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The estimated number of eastern lowland gorillas in the wild is 4000 and 24 in the zoo.
Distinctiveness

  • They have black coats and similar to the mountain gorillas, males develop a steak of silver hair on their backs when they mature.
  • They have long teeth with stronger jaws compared to other gorilla species
  • Their bodies are broad compared with the western lowland gorillas where by a  male Eastern lowland gorilla weighs approximately over 250 kilograms. The highest weigh was at St. Louis Zoo, where a gorilla weighed 388 Kilograms.
  • Their movement is referred to as knuckle walking where they use their four limbs for movements at certain times since they have arms that are longer than their legs.
  • After a gestation period of 260 days, female gorillas give birth to one offspring.
  • An infant takes approximately 35 weeks to walk after the 9 months set in motion for crawling.
  • They are the largest subspecies of the gorilla family and the largest living primates.

Habitat and diet:
This particular gorilla type of the eastern lowland is only found in the tropical rainforests of eastern Zaire here in Africa. They have got a distinctive diet of only feeding on leaves and they are known for eating a few leaves from the plant, give it time to grow for another secured meal for them to enjoy. A balanced diet is noted for the eastern lowland gorillas who engage in coprophagia that includes seeds, fruits, bamboo shoots and insects besides their own feces and those of fellow gorillas.
Social structure and Behavior:
These exclusive primates are peaceful animals and above all very outgoing. It is rare to find one without any company; they are always in groups of 5 to 30.  Their groups usually comprise of one dominating silver back though at times with a few subdominant males.
Just like the mountain gorillas, silverbacks determine the movement of the group in search for food and security for the infants and female gorillas. During puberty, males disintegrate from the group and make it on their own till they meet with females and create their own independent groups. The cycle is continuous from generation to generation. The gestation period for the females is usually 81/2 months and the infants stay under the care of their mothers for a period of 3-4 years before they can make it on their own when they mature at a remarkable age between 11 and 12 years.
On a sad note, since 1990’s they have been severally affected by human activity when their habitats were overshadowed through human tragedy and economic disintegration.
Gorillas are hunted more than ever before in war-torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and their habitat is rapidly being destroyed and degraded by mining, agriculture and charcoal production.

Western Lowland Gorillas:

They are scientifically referred to as the Gorilla gorilla gorilla and are far more in number compared to the eastern lowland gorillas with an approximate total of over 100,000. The population of the western gorillas’ is however skeptical of late after the overall decline of more than 60% in the past 20 – 25 years. The noted effect of Ebola to the forest habits, gorillas have been greatly affected though the threats are not readily mitigated.

Their social structure, diet and behavior are more less the same to the eastern lowland gorillas

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