The mountain gorilla is a subspecies of the Eastern Gorilla and is only found in East and Central Africa. Its scientific name is (Berengei). It is one of the biggest primates on the planet. Mountain gorillas are completely unique from other gorilla species due to their superior physical strength (more power full). Its fur is longer and thicker than that of other gorilla species, allowing it to endure severe conditions with greater cold and high elevations.
The thumbprint of the gorilla is comparable to that of a person, and each has a distinct nose print.
In the densely forested regions of Uganda’s Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks, mountain gorillas are one of the few remaining critically endangered species.
Bwindi Impenetrable forest National Park has over half the population of world’s remaining mountain gorilla population. The gorillas are also found in the neighboring Volcano and Virunga of Rwanda and Congo National Parks.
Where do mountain gorillas stay?
Gorillas are found in the forests of East and Central Africa. This region is home to two mountain gorilla groups, one of which lives in the Virunga and Volcano Mountains of Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This group is found in the three forest regions of Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Another group lives in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park’s Albertine Rift Valley.
They typically live at high altitudes of 8000-1300 feet (1400m-3800 meters), with montane and bamboo forests and surrounded by communities.
Deity
Mountain gorillas spend nearly a quarter of their day eating a vegetarian diet of roots, shoots, leaves, fruit, wild celery, tree bark, and pulp. They supplement their plant-based diet with raw snail and ant protein.
An adult male mountain gorilla can consume up to 34 kilos (75 lbs.) of food per day, while a female can consume up to 18 kilos (40 pounds). To allow digestion, they must walk on all fours to support their fat, heavy bellies and spend more time sitting, grooming, farting, and socializing.
Average Life Expectancy
Mountain gorillas can live for up to 35 years in the wild.
Infant gorillas are classified as infants until they reach the age of three and a half years, and adults when they reach the age of eight years.
Males aged 8 to 12 are referred to as ‘black backs.’ After that, they develop a silver section of hair over their back and hips, earning them the nickname silverback.’ Mother gorillas interact with their infants in the same way that humans do.
Size
Mountain gorillas are the heaviest and most powerful primates on the planet. A male mountain gorilla can weigh 136 to 230 kilograms (300 to 485 pounds) and stand 4 to 6 feet tall (1.2 – 1.8 meters).
Conservation of Mountain Gorillas
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which determines species conservation status, downgraded mountain gorillas from “critically endangered” to “endangered” in 2008 as their numbers increased. Because of aggressive conservation programs involving governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), tour operators, and private individuals.
Scientists warn, however, that if conservation efforts are not prioritized, they could quickly revert to critically endangered status.
Conservationists, on the other hand, consider the mountain gorilla conservation story to be one of the most successful programs in the world.
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