5 Facts About Mountain Gorillas
5 Facts About Mountain Gorillas you didn’t know
Fact 1: Mountain gorillas live in the most extreme environment of any of the four gorilla subspecies.
Mountain gorillas are unique to a small section of Central Africa and Eastern Africa. They are only found in the Virunga Massif, which is comprised of Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda), Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national Park (Uganda) as well as Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic of Congo). They can ably live an elevation of up to 4,500 meters above sea level and also survive in the lowest temperatures.
Fact 2: Mountain gorillas have thicker and longer hair than other gorilla subspecies.
Mountain Gorillas have thicker and longer hair compared to the other species such as the western lowland gorillas. This long hair helps the mountain gorillas to adapt and live in the cold temperatures of their mountain environment.
Fact 3: Mountain gorilla’s diet is high in tannins.
Like all other gorilla species, mountain gorillas are herbivores and consume a plant-based diet of leaves, roots, bamboo, bark, bamboo shoots, as well as seasonal fruits and flowers. However, due to the high elevations at which mountain gorillas live, particularly in the Virunga Massif area, they consume less fruit than other gorilla species. For this fact, the diet of Mountain Gorillas is high in tannins.
Fact 4: Mountain gorilla groups may have more than one silverback.
Gorilla families typically have only one adult male gorilla, known as a silverback. This silverback will act as the dominant individual in the group. It makes decisions about where to travel and when to stop, it protects the females and young gorillas, and is generally in charge of the family. While this fact is true in relation to the gorilla species, almost 40% of mountain gorilla groups/families contain multiple adult silverbacks, though with a dominant male! In these groups, there is a hierarchy among the males, and there is still a single male who is dominant over all other individuals (called the dominant or alpha silverback).
Fact 5: Mountain gorillas are the only subspecies of gorilla whose population is increasing.
While all other populations of great apes (except humans) are decreasing in size, the mountain gorilla population is actually increasing! Mountain gorilla numbers have consistently risen over the last 30 years. Gorilla census information is split between the Virunga population (living in the Virunga Massif) and the Bwindi population (living in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park). At the lowest point, the Virunga population dropped to approximately 250 individuals in the early 1980s, classifying them as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. Today, the same population stands just over 600 individuals! The Bwindi population is increasing as well and is currently at 400 individuals. Due to this consistent increase, mountain gorillas have recently been reclassified from critically endangered to endangered, which is one step further away from extinction. This incredible population recovery is a result of the conservation leadership of the countries where mountain gorillas are found as well as the work of conservation groups like the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and its team of trackers, researchers, staff, and donors!
This article first apeared on gorillafund.org as: 5TF: 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Gorilla beringei beringei!
