35 interesting facts about gorillas

Perhaps the most famous of all primates, gorillas, are now on the verge of extinction, at least some of their types. Human civilization has forced them out of their usual habitat, threatening the existence of the population itself, despite all the measures taken to protect them. And, looking into the intelligent eyes of gorillas, it immediately becomes clear that it is simply impossible to treat these animals in this way.

Interesting facts about gorillas

1. Despite their formidable appearance, they all eat exclusively plant-based food.
2. Since the leaves are not too high in calories, an adult gorilla needs 25-30 kg of food daily.
3. These animals do not often drink water, as the vegetation they eat contains enough moisture.
4. The stereotypical gorilla beating its chest before attacking is true. The males of these animals really do this to intimidate an opponent.
5. In the wild, gorillas live only in Africa (interesting facts about Africa).
6. Scientists have found that in order to communicate with their own kind, they use 22 different sounds.
7. About a third of the time they are awake, gorillas are looking for food and feeding.
8. In case of danger, the females usually stay in the den and protect the cubs, while the males come out to meet the potential threat. Protecting their flock, they always fight to the death and do not retreat.
9. Gorillas live up to 50-55 years, and sometimes even more.
10. They are very smart, but not always willing to train.
11. Only female gorillas sometimes fight among themselves, and then infrequently. And males fight only if one of the members of the pack decides to challenge the leadership of the alpha male. But such battles do not reach death and serious injury.
12. The DNA of these primates is 95-97% similar to the human one.
13. Unlike most other monkeys, gorillas lead a terrestrial lifestyle, climbing trees only from time to time.
14. Mountain gorillas are preserved only in the national parks of some African countries. They are on the verge of extinction, there are only about six hundred of them left.
15. Among all monkeys, gorillas are the strongest (interesting facts about monkeys).
16. Any adult gorilla is 4-6 times stronger than a strong male.
17. The growth of a male in these animals can reach two meters in height, and this is with a shoulder width of a meter.
18. Gorillas perceive «eye to eye» as a challenge, and attack. But they do not finish off their defeated rivals, but only bite them, driving them away in disgrace.
19. Of all the monkeys, only gorillas and chimpanzees rely on clenched fists when walking.
20. The most numerous gorillas are lowland gorillas. There are about 100 thousand of them in the world.
21. Gorillas lead a daytime lifestyle, preferring to sleep at night. They never set sentries, but their sleep is so sensitive that they may not be afraid of a surprise attack.
22. An adult male gorilla can weigh up to 150-180 kg.
23. Despite the fact that they know how to swim, gorillas hate this occupation. And in general, they do not like water, and they even try not to get caught in the rain, hiding from it under the trees.
24. These primates become sexually mature at the age of 11-12 years, give or take.
25. Mountain gorillas are preserved only in the Virunga mountains, which stand on the borders of Rwanda, DR Congo and Uganda (interesting facts about Rwanda).
26. Large predators rarely risk contact with gorillas, since the male of this monkey is quite capable of defeating even, for example, a lion.
27. Gorillas compensate for the lack of salts in the body by eating clay. Not all in a row, of course, but a certain one.
28. There are usually up to 25-30 gorillas in a herd, including cubs.
29. Pregnancy in these primates lasts only a couple of weeks less than in humans.
30. Mountain gorillas cannot live in captivity. When captive, they go on a hunger strike and prefer to starve to death rather than confinement in a zoo.
31. For the first few years of life, baby gorillas are as defenseless as human babies.
32. If desired, gorillas can walk on two legs, like people, but more often they still rely on their hands, too.
33. Officially hunting gorillas is prohibited in all countries, but in practice some African tribes still hunt them.
34. Like humans, gorillas have fingerprints, and they are also unique.
35. These primates can learn human sign language and use it to communicate with humans. The famous scientific gorilla named Koko knew about a thousand gestures, she knew how to joke with people, understood humor and could communicate both on specific topics and on quite abstract ones.