Gorillas are the largest primates on earth, and have captured the imagination of humans for centuries, though the mountain gorilla wasn’t known to science until 1902. Found in dense forests and rainforests in just four national parks in Uganda and Rwanda, mountain gorilla numbers are small – possibly around a thousand.
Mountain gorillas are immensely strong, with huge chests and a thick coat of long black hair which provides protection against the low temperatures found at altitude. In spite of their massive strength, they are gentle, shy animals, living in groups of between two and 40, and usually around 10. The leader and protector of each group is the dominant male – the silverback. He has silvery gray hairs and decides where and when to rest, sleep and forage for food – mountain gorillas are herbivores, eating over 100 species of plants. He also acts as the peacemaker of the group, settling disputes.
Mountain gorillas live for 40-50 years but in that time a female may only have between two and six offspring, with this slow rate of reproduction contribution to the species’ threatened status, something which is exacerbated by their main predator - humans. Females usually produce a single young, though twins are sometimes born. A tiny newborn weighs just 1.8kg, but develops about twice as fast as human babies. When fully adult, males are up to 1.8m tall and weigh around 160kg, with females up to 1.5kg tall and weighing some 97kg.