
Best 10 Facts about Mountain Gorillas
Best 10 Facts about Mountain Gorillas : Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are habitat to the unique mountain gorilla species, which is a subspecies of eastern gorilla. They can be found in Uganda’s two national parks, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which are situated in the districts of Rubanda, Kanungu, and Kisoro in the southwest of the nation.
In Rwanda, mountain gorillas can be observed in the Volcanoes National Park which is located far northwest of Rwanda, covering five of the Virunga Volcanoes, including Sabyinyo, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Karisimbi. The enormous Virunga National Park, which is situated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s eastern region and to the north of Lake Kivu, is home to mountain gorillas.
1. They live in two isolated groups.
One group lives in the Virunga volcanoes (a region expanding to three countries which include Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo) and the other group lives in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which is located in the south-western region of Uganda. They occupy high altitude places which are extremely cold, in thick African tropical forests though surrounded by plantations, farmlands, and settlements.
2. Humans share 98% of their DNA with mountain gorillas.
Just like Bonobos, chimpanzees, mountain gorillas too are close to human beings. This therefore implies that the diseases that affect humans are very likely to also affect mountain gorillas. Such illnesses include colds for example flue, COVID-19, Ebola, cough, T.B and many others which makes us similar to each other
3. Only 1,063 Mountain gorillas exist in the wild (according to the 2018 census).
More than half of Uganda’s population lives in the impenetrable Bwindi forest. Other popular safari destinations include Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Virunga National Park, and Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, home to just one family of gorillas.
Mountain gorilla species are generally threatened as classified by IUCN but their numbers have gone on increasing for the past years due to strict conservation policies.
4. They are one of the biggest and most powerful living apes.
Mountain gorillas have an abundance of energy that they are able to tearing down a tree branch or uprooting short trees. They live up to 40 years of age and they weigh up to 275kg though an average male gorillas can weigh up to 180kg and 5.5ft tall.
5. They can eat all day long.
They spend most of their day eating, up to 14 hours feeding and 10 hours resting. They consume leaves, shoots, ants, snails, roots, and barks, all of which provide their bodies with an ideal supply of sodium. They eat up to 180 kg in a single day and sleep for the remainder of the day.
6. They cozy up at night.
Unlike other gorilla species that build their nests in tree branches, mountain gorillas spend the night in groups, families, or troop configurations sharing a single nest, usually on the ground for warmth and comfort. They build their nests from foliage. This keeps the gorilla family as a whole together and strengthens their bond.
7. Mountain gorillas have 16 different types of call.
When one gorilla feels threatened, it will give a short bark to warn the others or signal for assistance if it comes into any danger or trouble. To intimidate and demonstrate their superiority over their rivals, male gorillas beat their chest, strut with stiff legs, and make loud noises like roars or hoots.
8. Gorillas live in groups called families or troops.
A silverback serves as the leader of each troop, with his sons making up the majority of the black backs. Juveniles, several female gorillas, and young gorillas follow. The troop consists of two to twelve members, but there may be more. As they search for food, they live and travel as a family. Giving instructions and directions is the lead silverback.

9. Mountain gorillas in the wild can live up to 40 years.
Infant gorillas are those that are between the ages of one and three quarters. The adults arrive at age eight. Male gorillas between the ages of 8 and 12 are referred to as “black backs,” and at 12 years old and up, they start to grow silver fur on their flanks and backs, which gives them the name “silverbacks.” A gorilla in wilderness can live for up to 40 years, while in captivity it lives for up to 50 to 60 years. However, mountain gorillas cannot be tamed into captivity, but only their counterparts the eastern lowland gorillas have survived in captivity.
10. They are threatened primate species.
They are according to danger of habitat degradation mainly by people who expand on their natural habitats, because of agriculture practices, extension of settlements and illegal hunting and extraction of forest products. This strain leads to reduction in resources through deforestation putting the mountain gorillas lives and population at a risk of reduction and consequently extinction.
