Things you need to know about Gorilla trekking in Africa

Overview

With over 1000 gorillas in the world, more than half of these magnificent creatures are situated in the Bwindi Impenetrable Conservation Area, and the smaller number in the Central part of Africa. They are classified as the Western Lowland Gorillas (Gorilla Gorilla) and Eastern Gorillas (Gorilla Beringei) and each has 2 subspecies. Gorillas have been listed and considered Endangered by the IUCN. Mountain Gorillas are located in both East and Central Africa with the bigger group in Uganda and the smaller group in the Virunga Volcanoes. The subspecies of Eastern gorilla are mountain gorilla and eastern lowland gorilla, and the Western gorilla and western lowland gorilla and cross river gorilla

Mountain Gorillas also known as Gorilla Beringei being our main focus are found in Uganda and make up more than half the world's population. Their name hints at their habitat as they live in the mountains at an elevation of 8,000-13,000ft with thick fur which comes in handy as it helps them survive by keeping them warm as the temperatures are often below freezing. Males will be bigger than the females with silver hair on their backs and large bumps on their heads called Sagittal Crests. Eastern lowland gorillas (Grauer’s gorilla) are the largest and strongest of all gorilla subspecies and are native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They are less than 6000; found in the rainforests of eastern DRC and live in the lowland tropical parts of the forest though can be found at higher elevations too.

Western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla) is the most numerous and widespread gorilla subspecies and is smaller than their eastern relatives but still incredibly strong and intelligent. Over 300,000; they are found in the dense rainforest and swamps of Central and West Africa in countries like Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, and Angola and prefer the lowland tropical forests, swamps, and secondary forests making them more adaptable than other subspecies. Cross River gorilla (gorilla gorilla diehli) is the rarest and most endangered of all gorilla subspecies with only 300 left; found only in a small area along the Cross River at the border region between Nigeria and Cameroon. They live in mountainous forests, dense jungles, and river valleys at elevations up to 2,000 meters; their habitat is highly fragmented, making survival difficult.

Gorillas live in families and share 98.3% of the human DNA with a weakness of slow speed and poor sight which means they can only run for short distances. A dominant silverback leads all gorillas regardless of the subspecies; they are either omnivorous or herbivorous as they all eat fruits, stems, leaves, bark, and flowers with some insects like ants or termites for some protein. Most subspecies live in families of 5 to 30 individuals excluding cross river gorillas who are 4 to 7 individuals per group or family. The average lifespan of gorillas is 35-40 years in the wild, however, it goes up to 50 years for those in zoos.

Female gorillas have a gestation period of 8.5 months similar to humans; they give birth usually to one baby as twins are rare and the babies completely depend on the mothers for the first 3 to 4 years meaning female gorillas are pregnant once every 4 to 6 years. Due to their slow reproduction rate and threats like habitat loss and poaching, all gorilla subspecies are critically endangered; this makes conservation efforts very crucial for their survival. Female gorillas reach sexual maturity between 7- 8 years however have their first baby at 10 years old or later.

Male gorillas on the other hand reach sexual and physical maturity in stages; juvenile at 3-6 years old, blackback at 6-10 years old, sexual maturity at 10-12 years old, and silverback at 12-15+ years old. Once fully mature, male gorillas develop silver hair on their backs, gain dominance by leading their group or challenging another silverback, and can weigh up to 180-230kgs. Since dominant silverbacks control mating, younger males may have to challenge a leader or form their group before they can reproduce. A silverback plays several important roles; maintaining order, protecting the group, mating and reproduction, organizing the troop’s daily life, and being a role model to the young males.

Gorillas are highly intelligent primates, can recognize themselves in mirrors, and show emotions like joy, sadness, and grief. They are critically endangered due to habitat destruction, poaching, and diseases, however, their populations are slowly increasing due to conservation efforts.