Gorilla Facts

Mountain Gorillas are found in 3 countries in Africa including Uganda, Congo and Rwanda.They are wild apes surviving in the virugas, part of Volcanoes in the northwest of Rwanda, virunga Volcanoes of the central part ,Mgahinga in the south west part of Uganda, and a separate national Park – ‘Bwindi National Park’ located in the southwestern part of Uganda.

Interesting facts a bout Gorillas

  • The DNA of gorillas is 98%–99% identical to that of a human and they are the next closest living relatives to humans after the two chimpanzee species. Gorillas have hands and feet like humans including opposable thumbs and big toes.
  • Half the world’s mountain gorilla population is found in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda. They are considered as critically endangered specie with a population of about 720 left in the world.
  • Silverbacks are the leaders and aged Mountain Gorillas with greyish color hair that grows on their back as they age. They are in charge of leading families which includes females and young ones.
  • Famale Gorillas produce at the age of 10 years they carry 1 to 2 babies in the womb and go through a gestation period of 8 and a half months bearing 2 to 6 off springs in a life time.
  • Gorillas are mostly herbivores and eat plants. The plants they eat include leaves, stems pith, fruit, and bamboo. Sometimes they will eat insects, especially ants. A full grown adult male will eat around 50 pounds of food in a day.

Here is a list of some of the Sectors in Uganda and the gorilla families that live there.

Buhoma Ruhija Nkuringo Rushaga Mgahinga
Rushegura Bitukura Bishaho Nsonji Nyakagezi
Habinyanja Kyaguriro Nkuringo Mishaya
Mubare Mukizo Xmass Bweza
Katwe Oruzogo Kahunjye

Gorillas are mostly covered with brown hair, Western gorilla has the lightest hair and the mountain gorilla has the darkest. The western lowland gorilla can also have grayish hair and red colored forehead. When male gorillas get older their hair turns white on their back. These older males are called Silverback gorillas.

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