
How mountain gorillas adapt to the environment
How mountain gorillas adapt to the environment : Mountain gorillas are a sub-species of eastern gorillas and can only be found in the tropical equatorial forests of Bwindi national park and Virunga ranges at the border of Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. According to science, mountain gorillas are known as gorilla Beringei, and as of 2018, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified them as endangered. There were only 1043 mountain gorillas in the world this year, according to the gorilla population census, which included the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Mountain gorillas are both primates, currently regarded as the largest apes on planet earth, living in highland areas at an altitude of 8,000 to 13,000 feet above sea level and this gives meaning to their name. Long and thick fur makes them survive in these cold conditions as the saying states that the higher you go, the cooler it becomes. The long fur helps to keep them warm both during day and night when sleeping and also protects them from insect bites. Mountain gorillas live in groups called families comprising 2 to 30 gorilla individuals.
Each gorilla family is led by an alpha male called silverback who plays a big role in the group. Protecting the group, mating with all the females in the family, looking for food, and other activities are among them. Its name comes from the silvery swath of colour on its back when it reaches the maturity stage of 12 years and older.
Mountain gorillas feed on vegetables, fruits, leaves, seeds and insects and stems. This, therefore, makes them survive perfectly in tropical forests where there are a lot of trees that bear fruits hence providing plenty of food for these gentle giants. Gorillas typically consume fig trees among many other things. Finding food is never difficult, and they are free to eat as much as they like without having to worry about their young.
Mountain gorillas communicate using body language and vocalization. When a gorilla communicates and expresses their emotions, any other gorilla or a person accustomed to gorillas can readily understand. When they feel threatened, for instance, they will scream. When they charge and frighten away enemies, they strike their chest. They occasionally scream as they flee from adversaries.
Gorillas are known as gentle giants because of their habit of avoiding confrontations and fights and simply walking away when they sense danger. They have been able to live in peace and for a long time in the forest without much conflict from other forest dwellers because they prefer to show that they are a threat and they don’t easily get into fights.
They also have fingers that help them gather and collect food. For example, they use fingers to grasp fruits or leaves, they also use the fingers for protection, and the long arms are used for locomotion while the long muscles help in movements and gathering.
Sticks are also used by mountain gorillas for many other purposes, such as gathering honey and picking insects. They occasionally use the sticks as protection in case they encounter their adversaries. They have an excellent ability to foresee and identify threats before they materialize. They leave in order to avoid trouble or injury as a result.

Calm stays are made possible by the silverback’s leadership structure as the head of the family. He organizes, leads, and defends the group against any potential threats. Every member of the group is treated equally by the silverbacks in general.
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