The following is a list of the most commonly asked questions.
Question
1. Where do the mountain gorillas live?
Mountain gorillas live in the Virunga volcanoes in East
Central Africa. The majority of them exist on the slopes
of the dormant volcanoes Karisimbi, Mikeno, and Visoke,
Sabinyo, Mgahinga, and Muhavura. While the gorillas'
habitat is mountainous, they rarely climb above 13,000
ft, and also seem to avoid the low, meadowy areas between
the volcanoes. Because access to food plays a primary
role in the gorillas' choice of habitat, they spend
most of their time in the Hagenia forests, some of their
time in the bamboo forests, and very infrequently visit
subalpine areas.
Question 2. What is the greatest current threat to
the Mountain Gorilla?
Less than 790 mountain gorillas currently exist. Many
factors have contributed to their endangered status,
including habitat loss, poaching, and snares meant for
small game. Recently, mountain gorillas have also become
the victims of neighboring human warfare.
An additional concern facing mountain gorillas is the
possibility of declining genetic diversity. Mountain
gorillas reproduce slowly: Females do not reach sexual
maturity until their tenth year and reproduce only once
every four to eight years, and males are not sexually
active until they are fifteen. Further, only 50 percent
of gorilla young survive their first year. As a result
of their dwindling gene pool, mountain gorillas are
faced with the common genetic problems that result from
inbreeding. The greatest problem that mountain gorillas
currently face, however, is human encroachment on their
habitat.
Question 3. Are there other types of Gorillas?
The answer is yes. According to Carl Linnaeus's zoological
classification system, humans, gorillas, chimpanzees,
and orangutans all belong to the order of Primates.
The gorilla group is further classified into three subspecies:
(1) western lowland gorillas (Gorillas gorilla gorilla),
(2) eastern lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla graueri),
and (3) mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei).
The differences between the three gorilla subspecies
are very minor, and primarily consist of small variations
in size and coloring. Approximately 50,000 western lowland
gorillas currently live in West Central Africa. In recent
years, the eastern lowland gorilla population, which
exists in the eastern Congolese rainforest, has significantly
declined. In 1960, the eastern lowland gorilla population
was estimated to range between 5,000 and 15,000. Presently,
however, only about 2,500 live in the wild, while less
than fifty reside within zoos. Mountain gorillas, who
live in the Virunga mountains of East central Africa,
are the most endangered of the three subspecies, and
are seriously threatened by the possibility of extinction.
There are only about 790 of them left in the world.
Question 4. How many gorillas are there in the world?
In comparison with other species, the number of gorillas
in the world is relatively small, and is, unfortunately
declining rather than increasing. All three gorilla
subspecies are officially classified as endangered.
Approximately 50,000 western lowland gorillas currently
live in West Central Africa. In recent years, the eastern
lowland gorilla population, which exists in the eastern
Congolese rainforest, has significantly declined. In
1960, the eastern lowland gorilla population was estimated
to range between 5,000 and 15,000. Presently, however,
only about 2,500 live in the wild, while less than fifty
reside within zoos. Mountain gorillas, who live in the
Virunga mountains of East central Africa, are the most
endangered of the three subspecies, and are seriously
threatened by the possibility of extinction. There are
around 790 of them left in the world, and none survive
in captivity.
Question 5. How can I help protect the Mountain Gorilla
from extinction?
You can learn more about this issue, and work to raise
public awareness about the current situation of mountain
gorillas. You can participated in one of our Gorilla
Events or by making a general donation which help our
project the most. You can become actively involved by
volunteering at an organization devoted to this very
important cause.
Question 6. Are mountain gorillas friendly?
While mountain gorillas are large, physically imposing
creatures, they are also gentle, affectionate, and intelligent.
Mountain gorillas are peaceful vegetarians who are devoted
to their family groups. Mountain gorillas spend a large
portion of their day interacting playfully with their
young, and can be fiercely protective if their families
are in danger. They only behave aggressively toward
humans if they believe they are being threatened.
Question 7. Are mountain gorillas biologically similar
to human beings?
Yes! Mountain gorillas are one of our closest relatives,
sharing 98.6% of our genomes and 99.6% of our DNA. Humans
and gorillas evolved from a common ancestor, and like
human beings, mountain gorillas are intelligent, playful,
emotional, and family-oriented. They are even capable
of learning sign language. Despite our connections,
however, human beings have been the mountain gorilla's
only effective predators.
Question 8. Are Mountain Gorillas independent, or
do they live in groups?
Mountain gorillas, like most primates, are highly social
animals. They live in family groups of varying sizes,
which consist of males, females, juveniles, and infants.
The leader of each group is a dominant silverback, who
is much larger than the other members. All members of
the group defer to the dominant silverback, who acts
as a protector, and directs the group as they forage
for food.
By the time they are eleven, males typically leave their
natal group; however, any attempt to join another established
group would be viewed as threatening to that group's
males. As a result, young adult males often spend lengthy
periods in isolation, until they can attract females
and establish their own group. At around eight years
of age, females leave their natal group in order to
join a new group before breeding.
Because they are sociable animals, gorillas try to protect
one another from potential danger. Adult gorillas commonly
risk their lives to defend their young from poachers
and other dangers, and often die in the process. Like
humans, gorillas grieve for their family members after
they die. When the dominant silverback dies the family
group can be deeply disrupted, and may even disperse
into sub-groups.
Question 9. Would it be possible to see a Mountain
Gorilla in a zoo?
It is impossible to see a mountain gorilla in a zoo
because they cannot survive in captivity. The western
lowland gorilla is the sub-species of gorilla most commonly
seen in zoos, and approximately 50,000 of them currently
live in West Central Africa. In recent years, the eastern
lowland gorilla population, which exists in the eastern
Congolese rainforest, has significantly declined. In
1960, the eastern lowland gorilla population was estimated
to range between 5,000 and 15,000. Presently, however,
only about 2,500 live in the wild, while less than fifty
reside within zoos. Mountain gorillas, who live in the
Virunga mountains of East central Africa, are the most
endangered of the three subspecies, and are seriously
threatened by the possibility of extinction. There are
less than 790 of them left in the world, and they can
only exist in the wild.
Question 10. What is a Mountain Gorilla's typical
day like?
Gorillas spend about thirty percent of the day eating,
thirty percent foraging and playing, and forty percent
resting and sleeping in nests, which they have constructed.
Gorillas live in small family groups, which usually
consist of a dominant silverback, several females, and
their offspring. While gorillas are generally peaceful,
conflicts can sometimes occur when groups interact with
each other, particularly if a solitary male contacts
a new group.
Question 11. What type of food do mountain gorillas
eat?
Primarily vegetarians, mountain gorillas eat many types
of vegetation, including the stems, roots, leaves, and
flowers of plants, and the bark of certain trees. Thistles,
wild celery, bamboo shoots, and fruits are additional
staples of the mountain gorilla's diet. Their primary
habitat is the Hagenia forest, because most of the foods
they eat are found there year-round. Because the growth
of bamboo shoots is highly variable from year to year,
and fresh shoots are only available between August and
December, the bamboo forest is a secondary habitat for
the gorillas.
Gorillas spend the majority of their time within the
mountain forests and generally avoid the cultivated
farmland that surrounds their habitat.
Question 12. What is the average life span of a mountain
gorilla?
The average life span of mountain gorillas is difficult
to estimate because they only exist in the wild. Their
life span seems to range from thirty to thirty-five
years.
Question 13. How many babies do female gorillas have?
Female gorillas have slow reproductive rates, and may
have only 2-6 offspring over the course of their life
span. Male gorillas typically father 10-20 offspring,
often with 3-4 different females.
Female gorillas usually reach sexual maturity by 10
years of age, while males do not usually become sexually
active until they are 15. Female gorillas approach males
to initiate mating, and are only sexually receptive
during estrous. They have a 28 day estrous cycle, and
after they give birth, they stop ovulating for several
years. After an eight-and-a-half month gestation period,
a single infant is born.
Mountain gorillas do not have a breeding season, and
babies are born throughout the year. If left undisturbed,
their population would have the potential to grow at
the same rate as our own; however, due to disease, poaching,
human encroachment on their habitat, and other destructive
factors, gorillas have a high infant mortality rate,
and nearly 50 percent of young gorillas die before reaching
maturity.
Question 14. How long do baby gorillas stay with
their mothers?
Baby gorillas usually nurse until they are three years
old, and young gorillas often remain with their mothers
for many subsequent years. Newborn gorillas have an
average weight of about five pounds, are covered with
black hair, and develop at a much faster rate than human
babies.
Question 15. At what age do male mountain gorillas
develop silver hair on their backs?
Adult male mountain gorillas are known as "silverbacks,"
because when they reach maturity they begin to develop
grayish or silver-colored hair on their backs. In the
wild, silverbacks are easily recognizable because of
their distinctive color and large size.
Question 16. How much does a full-grown male silverback
mountain gorilla weigh?
Adult male mountain gorillas reach typical heights of
5-6 feet, and weights of 450-500 pounds. They are large
animals, and can eat up to 50 pounds of vegetation a
day.
