8 Facts about Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda
8 Facts about Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda: Mountain gorillas are interesting creatures that should be seen at least once in a lifetime. These magnificent creatures are endangered species that like to live in the wooded highlands. Mountain gorillas may be found in four national parks in East Central Africa: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Forest National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These national parks are the greatest places in the world to go on a mountain gorilla trekking safari.
Mountain gorillas are intriguing creatures, and the top ten facts about them are listed here.
- Mountain Gorillas are the biggest primates in the world
Mountain gorillas are one of the largest and strongest primates on the planet. An average mountain gorilla is 4 to 6 feet tall and weighs 300 to 485 pounds (135 to 220 kg), however this varies depending on the sex (male or female).
- They live in groups/families
Mountain gorillas are found only in the East and Central Africa, where they are divided into two distinct groups. One group is located in the Virunga Conservation Area, which includes three national parks: Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. The Virunga massif is characterized by a sequence of 8 volcanoes namely; Karisimbi, Visoke, Mgahinga, Muhavura, Nyiragongo, Nyamuragira, Mount Sabinyo, and Mikeno mountains, which act as a habitat for the mountain gorillas.
The second group of mountain gorillas is found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. There are 19 habituated gorilla families in Bwindi forest national park in Uganda and the park also offers tourists gorilla habituation experience which is conducted Rushaga sector.
Male and female gorillas in each group are responsible for caring for their offspring by caressing, carrying, and playing with them, while the dominant silverback is in charge of the entire family’s protection. Mountain gorillas live in groups until they reach the age of maturity, at which point the males leave to create or join new groups. This is done in order to avoid inbreeding all tp thrill while on Rwanda Safari Tours.
- There are approximately 1,063 Mountain Gorillas left in the world
Mountain gorillas are designated as endangered and are under threat owing to habitat degradation. There are two types of gorillas in the world: eastern and western gorillas. Mountain gorillas are subspecies of eastern gorillas, and according to the most recent census, there are a total of 1,063 mountain gorillas located worldwide.
Mountain gorillas are found in two populations, the largest of which is found in Uganda’s Bwindi impenetrable national park, and the other population is found in the Virunga conservation Area, which includes Mgahinga gorilla national park in Uganda, Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, and Virunga national park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Mountain Gorillas are actually and endangered species
Mountain gorillas in Rwanda are actually an endangered species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The primary threat to mountain gorillas is habitat loss owing to population growth, which results in the conversion of their habitats to agricultural fields. Farming near mountain gorilla habitats has led in confrontations between people and mountain gorillas, since the gorillas travel onto farmlands to eat crops like as maize and bananas. Mountain gorillas are also threatened by poachers who set snares for bush meat.
- In the wild, Mountain Gorillas can live up to 40 years
Mountain gorillas in Rwanda can live for more than 40 years in the wild. A mountain gorilla is categorized as a baby when it is approximately 3 and half years old, and an adult when it is around 8 years old. Males between the ages of 8 and 12 are known as black backs; at 12 years, the male develops a silver area of hair across his back and hips, earning him the name silverback.
- Mountain Gorillas have unique ways of communicating
Thanks to early research studies carried out by Dian Fossey, we now know that mountain gorillas have quite a number of unique ways of communicating with one another.
Communicating dominance: To communicate dominance, gorillas give appeasement vocalizations followed with a submissive attitude like crouching, tossing vegetation, chest thumping, strut poses, and aggressive behaviors like punching or kicking.
Play face: Mountain gorillas communicate primarily by facial expressions; similarly to human behavior, facial expressions may be used to gauge someone’s mood. To gorillas in the wild.
Smiling and Yawning: Mountain gorillas communicate by revealing their teeth when they smile or yawn (bare teeth where the mouth is open and both rows of teeth are showing). This is a gesture of deference or appeasement. Yawning is supposed to occur in situations where males are agitated or nervous, and it might act as a warning indication as well as a demonstration of dominance.
Vocalizations: Gorillas use a variety of vocalizations to indicate alarm, distress, aggressiveness, happiness, and group coordination. One of the most common vocalizations is the belch, which is used to transmit a sense of happiness between individuals. Gorillas also hum or sing, which generally occurs in the context of locating a highly favored meal and frequently involves many individuals or the entire group doing so at the same time thus 8 Facts about Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda.
Chest Beating: A chest beat can have a variety of connotations, the most well-known being hostility in men. This type of communication is accomplished by thumping the chest with open hands; men have huge air sacs in their chests, which aid in the transmission of sound over great distances. Chest beats are also prevalent in juvenile gorillas that do them while playing.
- Mountain Gorillas are closely related to humans
Mountain gorillas are the closest relatives to humans, sharing 98 percent of their DNA. Because they are so genetically related to people, they are susceptible to human ailments such as colds, flu, and others.
- Mountain Gorillas consume large amounts of food on a daily.
Mountain gorillas sleep in groups and construct nests on the ground or in trees where they spend the night. The nests are formed of foliage which comprise leaves and stems, and in their environment, new-borns share their mothers’ nests to keep them warm and safe during the night.
In Summary; Compared to other gorilla species, mountain gorillas are quite social creatures and a gorilla trekking safari in Volcanoes national park in Rwanda will give you an opportunity to understand these primates better and by paying for your Rwanda gorilla permit, you will be contributing towards the conservation of mountain gorillas in Rwanda.
