They occupy an important place in the food chain, helping to disperse seeds and maintain the area’s flora. This indicates just how broad and muscly gorillas are. These gentle giants have loomed large in the public consciousness for nearly a century, ever since a fictionalized version of the great ape, King Kong, began appearing in movies in 1933. A cheetah can go from 0-60 mph in 3 seconds. However, there are times when a younger male will challenge a more mature one. Gorilla Facts Overview In addition to being stocky, gorillas have broad chests and shoulders. All hosted affiliate links follow our editorial policies. Their primary population centers are in Maiko National Park and Kahuzi Biega National Park, as well as the forests adjacent to them. The western gorilla is split into two different subspecies including the Cross River gorilla and the Western Lowland gorilla. Sub-Saharan Africa – Congo, Gabon, Guinea, Cameroon, Rwanda, Uganda, Herbivore – Leaves, Shoots, Roots, Vines & Fruits. Around 1,063 exist in the wild. A group of gorillas are called a troop or band. Interview with Primatologist Jane Goodall, Rwanda History at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, Top 15 Inspirational Animals Rights Activists, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International CEO Tara Stoinski, International Gorilla Conservation Programme, The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Asian Animals: 10 Wildlife Conservation Programs. This enterprise helps farmers near Bwindi earn a fair price for their coffee and get training to grow it sustainably, with some proceeds going to gorilla conservation. Gorilla beds are called nests. Though the two subspecies have similar body size, the Cross River Gorilla has a noticeably smaller palate and cranial vault, shorter skull, and shorter hands and feet. 23) An adult male gorilla can eat up to 40 pounds of vegetation a day, which is about 10% of its total body weight. Humans & Occassionally Leopards. Click here to read more about Gorilla habitats. 50) Gorilla Conservation Coffee was founded by Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, the first Wildlife Veterinary Officer of the Uganda Wildlife Authority and a recent winner of the Sierra Club’s EarthCare Award. They can use simple tools and learn sign language. 4: 10 Facts about Gorillas – Most powerful primates in Africa An average male Gorilla gorilla beringei can weigh 180kg (that’s almost 30 stone), and measure 170cm (over 5’5”) tall. 34) Unfortunately, the Western Lowland Gorilla population has declined by over half in the last 20 to 25 years. Losing these gentle giants would disrupt the ecosystem, not to mention depriving humanity of one of our biggest, strongest, and most spectacular primate family members. Luckily, with so many wildlife conservationists and ordinary people alike fascinated by gorillas, they have a real chance at survival. A 17-year-old silverback gorilla named Harambe was shot in the Cincinnati Zoo after a three-year-old boy fell into his enclosure. Due to similar genetics, gorillas are infected with many of the same diseases that affect humans. These groups of gorillas are called troops, or bands. Cross river gorillas are critically endangered with a population of under 300. The long-term observation of a single site has revealed unique behavior amongst the animals. That’s an awful lot of salad! Gorillas’ hands even have unique fingerprints, like humans (and koalas). In fact, they are considered the largest primates in the world. 41) Gorillas also struggle with infectious diseases. According to recent reports, there are now over 360,000 in the wild and over 4,000 in zoos. The eastern species (Gorilla beringei) lives specifically in the east central part of Africa, and the western species (Gorilla gorilla) inhabits the west central part of Africa. Those who are kept in zoos fair better and can live for 50 or more years. A 2014 study suggests that there are less than 250 mature Cross River Gorillas left in the wild, making them one of the world’s most critically endangered primates. The males become sexually mature at an even older age. 1) Gorillas are primates, an order of mammals that also includes monkeys, apes, tarsiers, lemurs, and humans. Unser Team hat unterschiedliche Marken analysiert und wir zeigen unseren Lesern hier die Ergebnisse des Tests. The oldest known gorilla was a female that lived at Ohio’s Columbus Zoo & Aquarium. All other gorilla subspecies have dwindling populations. These protectors decide when the troop gets up, eats, moves, and rests. Amongst various other differences, monkeys have tails while apes do not. (Plant Biotechnology). 29) Despite being in a tropical part of the world, Mountain Gorilla habitat can have freezing temperatures due to the high altitude. We were also featured in the 2017 National Geographic book, Ultimate Journeys for Two, for which we contributed a chapter on our adventures in Rwanda. The gorilla is mostly restricted to countries in central Sub-Saharan Africa, but the various subspecies live in different elevations. 4) Gorillas can learn sign language, utilize rudimentary tools, and even make some of their own tools. READ MORE: Interview with Primatologist Jane Goodall. This arm, chest, and back burliness comes from the fact that gorillas still use their upper bodies for moving around and supporting their massive weight. 48) Gorilla Doctors is an NGO that provides medical care to Eastern Gorillas in Rwanda and the DRC, treating individual animals with serious illnesses and rescuing baby gorillas orphaned by poachers. This is when they rely on their knuckles (or other parts of their hands) to walk and shift location. There are actually two distinct species of gorillas, the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla. Western lowland gorillas are the most common with a population of 360,000. There are only about 5,000 of them remaining in the wild, which is a sharp decline from an estimated population of around 17,000 animals in the mid-1990s. 11) The remainder of the troop will consist of numerous females, with which the silverback mates, and the young offspring produced by the silverback and these females. 8) Gorillas in the wild typically live to be about 35 years old, sometimes up to 40. Gorilla Types. It will stay with its mother until it is four to six years of age sharing her nest all the while. But the gorilla diet also includes bark, small branches, and tree pulp. 38) There is only one Eastern Lowland Gorilla currently living in captivity– a lone female living at the Antwerp Zoo in Belgium. 1. A chameleon’s tongue can be as long as its body. In fact, the average gorilla is roughly six times stronger than the average human. Mountain gorillas are endangered - there are an estimated 1,063 in the wild according to the latest census results (which come out every 5-10 years). 22) Gorillas are considered herbivores, because they primarily feed on a wide range of vegetation, including wild celery, bamboo, roots, and fruits. 21) Eastern Lowland (a.k.a. Gorillas can mate any time of the year. Young males, called blackbacks, can wander alone to become solitary silverbacks or find a mate and start a gorilla family of their own. 45) World Wildlife Fund helps to develop ecotourism initiatives by training local gorilla trackers and guides. They are predominantly ground dwelling, and inhabit forests located in numerous countries in central Africa. They will even eat bark, small branches and tree pulp. Gorillas' arms are longer than their legs. Interesting facts about gorillas - Betrachten Sie unserem Gewinner. Mothers carry baby gorillas in their arms until they’re about four months old. 32) Amazingly, both populations of Mountain Gorillas– the one in the Virunga Mountains and the one in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park– have gradually increased in the last two decades. Adult males are 1.7 to 1.8 m (5 ft 7 in to 5 ft 11 in) tall, with an arm span that stretches from 2.3 to 2.6 m (7 ft 7 in to 8 ft 6 in). The mountain gorillas are known to inhabit higher elevations up to 4,300 metres above sea level. Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. There are four different types of gorillas that are categories into groups the western and the eastern gorillas. 30) Unfortunately, human encroachment is pushing the Mountain Gorillas even higher up into the hills. Despite often being referred to as monkeys, they are not. Gorillas are one of our closest living relatives, after chimpanzees and bonobos. At the moment, 21 groups of gorillas visit the site, and 23 solitary gorillas are also present. They also have large hands with forearms that are shorter than their upper arm. There are two species of gorilla: eastern and western. Average silverback gorilla weight is 300 to 400 pounds, but the biggest gorillas can grow to 500+ pounds. They usually walk on the knuckles of their hands, which is appropriately referred to as “knuckle walking.” Though they are capable of walking on two legs, they can only do so for short distances, up to about 10 feet. 33) Western Lowland Gorillas are the most numerous of the gorilla subspecies. Here’s 15 interesting facts about Silverback gorillas… Only the male gorillas can become a silverback. Crocodiles can go through 4,000 teeth over the course of their 35-75 year lifespan. Unsere Redakteure begrüßen Sie als Kunde hier bei uns. 28) Where other gorillas have been habituated to human presence, the subspecies is particularly wary of people. The average height of a gorilla is between 4 and 6 feet. Silverbacks can be more dominant and aggressive (and are known to beat their chests) when they perceive a threat. Female gorillas are shorter, with smaller arm spans. The new location is picked by a silverback gorilla, which is more or less the leader of that troop. The study examines “the social organization, life history, and demographics” of animals that visit the bai. 37) The decline was caused in large part by poaching due to the ongoing civil unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Gorillas Are Not Strong Breeders Unfortunately, they are not strong breeders, which makes it hard for them to recover from their declining status. They are great apes. READ MORE: Asian Animals: 10 Wildlife Conservation Programs. This learning video for kids is the classroom edition of our Gorillas for Kids video. By two months they can crawl, and by eight or nine months they’re able to walk. The gorilla diet is mainly vegetarian, which includes fruit, bamboo shoots and plant stems. Gorillas are third in line as the closest relatives to the human. They will typically just make a lot of noise, beating chests, baring teeth, charging forward and waving sticks until one backs down. 43) Founded in 1991 in coalition with Flora & Fauna International and World Wildlife Fund, the International Gorilla Conservation Programme was created to conserve mountain gorillas and gorilla habitat. That’s roughly 3 times heavier than an average man, when their height is somewhat similar. 35) These gorillas have noticeably different traits than the other subspecies. This allows them to walk on all four limbs while still remaining somewhat upright. 3. Gorillas have a black and hairless face with large nostrils and small eyes that are set closely together. To help them survive the colder climates of the high mountain elevations (8,000-13,000 feet), they have longer, thicker hair than other subspecies. But over 80% of the Mountain Gorilla’s diet comes from leaves, shoots, and stems. A group of gorillas is called a troop. Unfortunately all species (and sub-species) of gorilla are currently listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List due to habitat destruction, poaching for the bushmeat and wildlife trade. 1. There are only around 1,000 Mountain Gorillas left, but they were reclassified as endangered in 2018 because their population has increased by 50% since 2008. Most baby gorillas weigh about four pounds at birth. The gorilla lifespan can be up to 50 to 60 years in captivity (though they tend to die younger in the wild). Morning and evening are their main feeding times, but they can often be seen snacking on leaves throughout the day. 26) The Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) is the least populated of the subspecies. The mother will carry it around against her chest for a number of months until the baby can hang on to her back. All of the various types of gorillas we’ve discussed here have a vital role to play in their respective habitats. Smaller Western Gorillas weigh about 150-400-pound. After that, they begin to ride on their mothers’ back. Green Global Travel is the world's #1 independently owned ecotourism website encouraging others to embrace sustainable travel, wildlife conservation, cultural preservation, and going green tips for more sustainable living. They do this until they are two or three years old. African apes (gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos) diverged from a common ancestor about 5 million years ago and belong to the family Hominidae. We are open to discussing advertising, sponsorships, brand ambassadorships, freelance work, speaking/teaching engagements, and consulting opportunities. Midday is typically time for naps and grooming, but baby gorillas and young adolescents might play. 1. they will eat for the whole day Riding on Mom’s back is the safest place for the baby, even at this point in its life. The scientific name for Eastern Gorillas is Gorilla berinngei, and the scientific name for Western Gorillas is Gorilla gorilla. 13) Baby gorillas are called infants and will nurse until they’re about three years old. There are estimates of fewer than 5,000 Eastern Lowland gorillas, and over 100,000 Western Lowland gorillas in existence. Other awards we've won include Best Feature from both the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the Magazine Association of the Southeast. Es ist jeder Interesting facts about gorillas unmittelbar bei amazon.de im Lager verfügbar und kann somit sofort bestellt werden. Food is the determining factor as to where the gorillas will move today and tomorrow. World's largest independently owned Ecotourism / Green Travel / Sustainable Travel / Animal & Wildlife Conservation site. These primates are very intelligent. So, with interest in the species at an all-time high, perhaps it’s no surprise that the popularity of gorilla safaris has surged dramatically in recent years. 49) The Mbeli Bai Study monitors Western Lowland Gorillas that visit the Mbeli Bai, a 32-acre clearing in the forest of Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo. READ MORE: The 20 Best Environmental Charities & Animal Charities. The Mountain gorilla is also severely endangered with an estimated 880 still alive today. READ MORE: Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda. The numbers for eastern lowland gorillas are under 5,000. The group also administers preventative healthcare, conducts post-mortem exams, and collects biological samples to further the study of gorillas. READ MORE: 10 Simple Wildlife Photography Tips. They have constructed locally owned eco lodges in Rwanda (Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge) and Uganda (Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge), as well as helping Volcanoes National Park extend its domain. The eastern gorilla species includes the Mountain gorilla, and Eastern Lowland or Grauer’s gorilla. They are great apes. READ MORE: Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International CEO Tara Stoinski. READ MORE: Joan Embery On Why Zoos Are Good For Conservation. GGT founders Bret Love and Mary Gabbett describe their time in Rwanda’s Mountain Gorilla habitat as life-changing. As a result of the conflict, an accurate census is no longer possible. Nose prints, which are the wrinkles around gorillas’ noses, are specific to each individual just like fingerprints are to humans. 7) The gorilla’s strength is the stuff of legend, especially when it comes to the upper body. Gorillas in zoos can live 40-50 years or more. 5) Though gorilla size varies by species, most adults measure somewhere between four and six feet tall when standing on their hind legs. 2. 3) After chimpanzees and bonobos, gorillas are the closest primate to humans (or any animal, for that matter) in terms of their genetic make up. Females are slightly shorter. 1) Gorillas are primates, an order of mammals that also includes monkeys, apes, tarsiers, lemurs, and humans. The gestation period is roughly 8 and-a-half months. READ MORE: Are GMO Crops the Future of Food? Gorillas are stocky animals with broad chests and shoulders, large hands, and forearms that are much shorter than the upper arm. They generally get adequate moisture from the food they eat and the morning dew on it. Fossey was not only a trailblazer in primatology and gorilla research, but she’s widely credited with habituating the Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda to human presence. 14) Gorillas reach maturity between seven and 10 years old, at which time they leave the troop to search for a mate. The gorilla’s upper body is six times stronger than a humans. Chimpanzees take first place followed by bonobos. Gorillas have a lifespan between 35 and 40 years in the wild, in captivity their lifespan can extend beyond 50 years. Western Lowland (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and Cross River (Gorilla gorilla diehli) are the two western species. They inhabit Cameroon, Nigeria, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Angola. 16) Gorillas are ground-dwelling animals that reside in tropical and subtropical forests. Since then the gorilla’s habitat has shrunk from 8,000+ to 5,000 square miles, and they now occupy just 13% of their historical range. This allows a group of up to 8 people to spend an hour with a gorilla family in their native habitat. In fact, they are considered the largest primates in the world. Koko taught from an early age to communicate with American sign language, could use over 1,000 signs and understand over 2,000 spoken (English) words. Travelers pay anywhere from $600 (in Uganda) to $1500 (in Rwanda) for a gorilla trekking permit. 10) Troops are dominated by silverback gorillas, which are older male gorillas with gray fur on their backs. There’s a widespread loss of gorilla habitat due to logging, mining, and agriculture, which has led to more cases of human conflict. Until then, it’s important that we all do our part to keep these efforts going and growing. They tend to be slightly smaller, and they have brown-grey coats with auburn chests. 42) Cross River Gorillas are the most critically endangered gorillas, with a projected population of under 300 remaining. Around 1000 mountain gorillas remain. Top 10 Facts about Gorillas. 27) They’re part of the Western Gorilla species, but have distinct differences from the Western Lowland Gorilla (which are found nearly 200 miles away). This is in comparison to the average human male arm span, which is usually around 1-5cm longer. Amongst various other differences, monkeys have tails while apes do not. The NGO is also trying to counter the Ebola virus in wildlife, working with local people in the Republic of Congo as well as at a laboratory in the country’s capital. The arm span of an average adult male gorilla is between 7-feet, 7-inches and 8-feet, 6-inches. Silverback males typically become the leader of a troop. READ MORE: Top 15 Inspirational Animals Rights Activists. They also rarely drink water, as they can get all they need from the foods they consume. A blue whale’s tongue weighs as much as an adult elephant. They out rank monkeys, lemurs, chimpanzees, orangutans and humans as the largest primate. The incident instigated a huge amount of public debate, and drew further media attention to the increasingly endangered species. 15) Wild gorillas are only found in a few countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Their heads are also different, with wider skulls, more pronounced brows, and smaller ears. But Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund researchers discovered a previously unknown population in Maiko National Park in 2017. —by Jonathon Engels, lead photo by Rod Waddington courtesy Flickr via CC 2.0, Filed Under: Ecotourism & Green Living Blog, Wildlife Conservation Tagged With: Central Africa Republic, Congo. Gorillas actually make beds out of leaves and twigs, and these are called nests. Females mature between 10 and 12 years of age and males mature between 11 and 13 years. An adult male gorilla will stand between 5-feet, 7-inches to 6-feet tall. The male gorilla may reach 5.5 to 5.9 feet in height while the female gorilla may reach about 5 feet in size. Like us, gorillas’ hands have opposable thumbs, and they can walk upright on two legs. Gorillas are considered to be peaceful creatures. More recently, Project Koko turned a young female gorilla into an international celebrity. Beim Interesting facts about gorillas Vergleich konnte der Gewinner in den Faktoren punkten. 25) Amazingly, gorillas don’t often require sources of fresh water for hydration. Scientists believe it would take over 75 years to recover the lost population, even if all threats to gorillas were removed immediately. Rules state that visitors must maintain a safe distance, but the gorillas don’t always follow the rules. Gorilla watching trips are an incredible experience, with baby gorillas clinging to their mothers as silverback gorillas watch over them protectively. READ MORE: Killing For Conservation: Can Hunting Save the Black Rhino? Gorillas are very intelligent, and often prove it with their ability to laugh, express sadness, and convey other emotions. Cross River Gorilla habitat covers rough terrain on the Cameroon-Nigeria border that prevents easy observation, with the remaining 11 groups roaming a relatively small area of roughly 3,000 square miles. In fact, this is how a young gorilla will pick up many different actions and will act them out in play fights with other young gorillas. At eight years old, male gorillas are considered mature adults even though they are not fully grown. Yes. There are four gorilla subspecies. Polar bears have black skin under their white fur. As they are unable to swim naturally, gorillas will avoid rivers and large bodies of water. The IGCP also works in partnership with the Rwanda Development Board, Uganda Wildlife Authority, and Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature to ensure long-term protection of the gorillas. They are the largest living primates today. In terms of broccoli, that would be about 80 heads of broccoli in a day. Gorillas are part of the great ape family, which includes orangutans, bonobos and chimpanzees. They are intelligent, interactive, and identifiable. The Cross River gorilla contains about 250 animals still in the wild restricted to a small border area between Nigeria and Cameroon, making them the worlds rarest ape. The females become sexually mature at around seven or eight, but do not usually begin breeding until a couple of years later. The 1988 film Gorillas in the Mist showcased the groundbreaking work of Dian Fossey, a highly controversial figure in the world of gorilla conservation. Gorillas have a black and hairless face with large nostrils and small eyes that are set closely together. One female gorilla in a zoo in the United States lived to 60 years of age. Eastern Gorillas weight approximately 300-485 pounds. So here’s a look at 50 interesting facts about gorillas, including trivial tidbits about different types of gorillas, why gorillas are endangered, gorilla conservation efforts, and much more. Though her life was taken in 1985, her Karisoke Research Center remains one of the preeminent centers for gorilla conservation, providing daily protection, scientific research, education, and community outreach. 9) Gorilla families are usually small groups of around ten or so individual members, though they can be as little as just two adults or as large as 50 animals. In addition to being stocky, gorillas have broad chests and shoulders. We hope that their concerted efforts (and past successes) to protect gorillas will pave the way for primate conservation on the whole. 44) The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International was created in honor of the famed primatologist, who founded a research center in the Virunga Mountains in 1967 to protect and study Mountain Gorillas. A baby gorilla will learn how to walk by the time it reaches six months of age and it will be able to follow its mother for short distances once it gets to 18 months of age. Grauer’s) Gorillas inhabit the eastern side of the Democratic Republic of Congo. 6) Gorillas’ arms are longer than their legs, which makes it easier for them to walk on all fours. They are differentiated from other subspecies by a stockier body, larger hands, and a shorter muzzle. 46) The African Wildlife Foundation is another NGO with a special focus on Mountain Gorillas, purchasing land for habitat conservation and fostering community-based tourism development. The mountain gorilla is a sub-species of the eastern gorilla. A mature female will have one baby every few years, and normally only three to four over a lifetime. If this trend continues, they may soon be forced to live at elevations where their fur is not warm enough to protect them from the cold. Gorillas in the wild live to be about 35 years old. Evidence of this comes from Koko, a gorilla that was born in captivity that was taught sign language and had a vocabulary of about one thousand signs by the age of 40. Gorillas can live generally between 35 and 40 years in the wild. If you were to be chased by a gorilla, you better have wheels underneath you as they can reach speeds of over 20 miles per hour with a top speed clocked at 25 Mph. 19) Mountain Gorillas live in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda, either in the Virunga Mountains (which straddle all three countries) or Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Nest building by gorillas is no longer looked upon by researchers as just being a fine example of animal architecture. 18) Western Lowland Gorillas are the most widely distributed subspecies. Silverbacks have exclusive rights to mating with the females of the troop, and will often cast out male offspring once they get old enough to mate. We should each do all we can to keep them safe for generations to come. They even have impressive language skills! By the time she passed away in 2018 at age 46, Koko had learned to adapt and combine words to express herself. At around the age of 13, male gorillas become silverbacks. And, although they’re not hunters, gorillas sometimes eat small animals and insects. Fun facts about gorillas! And, like other primates, a mother usually gives birth to just one live baby. 36) Eastern Lowland Gorillas are also known as Grauer’s Gorilla. Much of our cultural fascination with gorillas centers around just how human they can seem. 40) Gorillas in Africa are gradually dwindling in population, due to a variety of reasons. Owned by Bret Love (a veteran journalist/photographer) and Mary Gabbett (business manager/videographer), USA Today named us one of the world's Top 5 Travel Blogging Couples. A ‘troop’ is a group of up to thirty gorillas, which often consistent of a dominate male gorilla, a handful of females and their immature offspring.