4 Days Mgahinga Gorilla Trekking and Birding Safari from Kigali enable you discover the wonders of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park,

Interesting Facts about Gorillas

Interesting Facts about Gorillas: At the briefing area in the various sectors of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, people are eager to begin their gorilla trek as part of the Uganda gorilla trekking safari every day. To get up close and personal with mountain gorillas and learn about them, they ventured into the forests of Bwindi Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The largest concentration of mountain gorillas may be found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The remaining populations are distributed across Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda.

Here are some of the facts you should know about mountain gorillas before you embark on a gorilla trekking adventure in any of the parks.

Mountain Gorillas are critically endangered species

The mountain gorilla is listed as an endangered species by the IUCN. Human settlement has increased in the areas where gorillas would have once lived due to political uprisings in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The gorillas were hunted, and agriculture or charcoal-burning operations constantly encroached on their habitats. Furthermore, they are more vulnerable to human illnesses like colds, which they can contract with ease only in cases of greater severity. A simple cold may even be fatal to them. For this reason, to stop the spread of illnesses like the flu and cold, it is advised that you avoid travelling while you are ill

Mountain Gorillas are nomadic

It is important to distinguish between mountain gorillas and lowland gorillas, as the former are not docile and would not survive in a zoo for an extended period of time. Depending on where food is available, they are constantly moving. You must travel there to witness them and walk through the dense Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and up the sides of the Virunga volcanoes to get a glimpse of the gorillas. The Silverback makes the daily travel and destination decisions.

Mountain Gorillas are very social primates

Similar to humans, mountain gorillas live in groups of six to thirty individuals, with a male silverback leading each group. The male gorilla enters adulthood when it turns silvery, which happens at the age of 13 or thereabouts. Among the Silverback’s responsibilities are planning the troop’s travel and rest schedule, providing fatherhood to the majority of the progeny, and protecting its members—mostly the females. Younger male gorillas, infants, adults, and younger females make up the majority of the family.

Mountain Gorillas are vegetarian

A mountain gorilla that is an adult consumes leaves, branches, wild fruits, and flowers as their daily intake. The rich flora in their environment allows them to continue eating this way, which may be why mountain gorillas choose to live in forested and hilly regions. Conversely, the infants grow well on breast milk until they turn three years old, at which point they join the rest of the family on a vegetarian diet.

Both males and females participate in nurturing the young. Most males and about 60% of females leave their birth group to join another troop, preventing inbreeding.

Behaviour and Communication

They have 16 different types of calls for various situations, including short barks when mildly alarmed or curious. Males perform this to intimidate rivals or during displays of strength.

Lifespan

In the Wild: They can live to over 40 years old. Classified as infants until around 3.5 years old and as adults from around 8 years

Mountain Gorillas do have descriptive names

Their scientific name, Gorilla Beringei Beringei, is the term given to mountain gorillas. But the moniker “mountain gorillas” is essentially descriptive of the environment that best supports their life. High tropical Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and the Virunga Ranges are home to them, with elevations ranging from 1,500 m to 4000 m. In this location, the gorillas can maintain their vegan diet due to the sufficiently low temperatures and plentiful and rich vegetation. The moniker Silverback refers to the silver stripe that the male mountain gorilla grows on its back. Saying that it’s similar to the grey hair that people get as they get older would be sufficient.

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