08 Interesting Facts About Mountain Gorillas: Mountain gorillas are one of the natural wonders and fascinating creatures in the world, from their exceptional intelligence and social skills to their unique physical features and behaviors.
Mountain gorillas are one of the most fascinating creatures in world and only found in the rain-forested highlands of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mountain gorillas are the rarest and most endangered species on the planet, despite their critically low numbers, they are gradually increasing thanks to the tremendous conservation efforts in both Uganda and Rwanda.
From their exceptional intelligence and social skills to their unique physical features and behaviors, there is no shortage of interesting facts about mountain gorillas to capture your imagination and still your heart with one sight.
These 08 interesting facts about Mountain Gorillas will make you fall in love with more.
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Mountain Gorillas have a unique way of expressing their emotions.
They have been observed humming and singing while eating which is similar to human beings, the humming and singing is believed to be a sign of contentment.
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Mountain Gorillas are one of the few primate species that build nests to sleep in at night
Unlike other primates, mountain gorillas construct their nests from leaves and branches, usually they create a new nest each night.
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Mountain Gorillas use tools
Mountain Gorillas have been observed to use tools like sticks to extract ants from their nests, this behavior is a sign of their high intelligence and problem-solving abilities.
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Mountain Gorillas have a highly developed sense of smell
Mountain gorillas’ sense of smell is highly developed, they use this to communicate with each other as well as locating food.
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Mountain Gorillas have a unique form of communication
Yes mountain gorillas cannot communicate, however they use several forms to communicate with each other. They use a variety of methods including body postures, facial expressions and vocalizations.
To communicate dominance usually by a dominant silverback, they often male an appeasement vocalization which is often accompanied by a submissive posture like crouching. To a full-fledged display that includes throwing vegetation, chest beating, strut stances and even aggressive behaviors like hitting or kicking.
Gorillas have many different vocalizations to communicate alarm, distress, aggression, contentment, and group condition. The belch, is one of the most frequent vocalization which is used to convey a sense of contentment between individuals. Gorillas also hum or sing, this usually occurs in the content of finding a highly preferred food and usually involves several individuals or the whole group doing at the same time.
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Mountain Gorillas are vulnerable to human diseases
Gorillas can contract human diseases thanks to the shared DNA Composition, they can contract illnesses such as the common cold and flu from humans. As a result, visitors to their habitat are required to wear masks and keep a safe distances from the gorillas.
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Mountain Gorillas have a close genetic relationship with humans
Mountain gorillas share 98% DNA Composition identical to humans, this makes them one of the closest relatives to humans.
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Mountain gorillas have a low reproductive rate
With female mountain gorillas only giving birth to one offspring every four to six hours, this makes their population recovery very slow and challenging.
Mountain gorillas are incredible primate species with a rich and complex social life, unique physical features, and fascinating behaviors. Despite their critically low numbers, they continue to capture the hearts and minds of people worldwide.
By learn about these incredible animals and supporting their conservation efforts, we can help ensure they thrive in their natural habitat and play a vital roles in the ecosystem.
As you are planning a safari to Africa, consider visiting mountain gorillas on a gorilla trekking adventure in Uganda or Rwanda with Rowin Africa Safaris. Browse our recommended gorilla tour packages.