The More you Learn About the Dignity of the Gorilla… the More You Want to Avoid People – Dian Fossey
Gorillas are the largest of the great apes and are incredibly fascinating primates. They are known for their immense strength, gentle nature and complex social structures.
Western Lowland Gorilla are the most numerous and widespread subspecies, found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea. This is the subspecies most commonly seen in zoos.
Mountain Gorillas were made famous due to the work of Dian Fossey, these gorillas live at high altitudes in the Virunga Mountains that border Rwanda, Uganda, and in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
All gorillas live in the tropical and subtropical forests of equatorial Africa. Their habitats range from lowland rainforests to montane cloud forests and even bamboo forests at high altitudes.
Gorillas are stocky, powerful animals with broad chests and shoulders. Males are significantly larger than females, and a mature male, known as a "silverback," can stand over 6 feet tall and weigh up to 400-500 pounds (or more in captivity).
Appearance: They have large, human-like hands, small eyes set into hairless faces, and distinctive brow ridges. Silverbacks develop a saddle of silvery hair on their backs as they mature, which gives them their name.
Gorillas are primarily herbivores, with their diet consisting mainly of vegetation. The exact composition of their diet varies by species and subspecies, and also seasonally.
Gorillas are highly social animals and live in groups called troops. The typical troop structure is a harem, led by a dominant adult male, the silverback. He is responsible for leading, protecting, mediating conflicts within the group, and breeding with the females.
Gorillas communicate through a complex repertoire of vocalizations (grunts, hoots, screams, roars) and body language, including the famous chest-beating display.
(Photographed at the San Diego Zoo, Nikon D500, Nikon 300/2.8, 1/125 @ f/5.6, ISO 200, edited to taste)
The More you Learn About the Dignity of the Gorilla… the More You Want to Avoid People – Dian Fossey
Gorillas are the largest of the great apes and are incredibly fascinating primates. They are known for their immense strength, gentle nature and complex social structures.
Western Lowland Gorilla are the most numerous and widespread subspecies, found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea. This is the subspecies most commonly seen in zoos.
Mountain Gorillas were made famous due to the work of Dian Fossey, these gorillas live at high altitudes in the Virunga Mountains that border Rwanda, Uganda, and in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
All gorillas live in the tropical and subtropical forests of equatorial Africa. Their habitats range from lowland rainforests to montane cloud forests and even bamboo forests at high altitudes.
Gorillas are stocky, powerful animals with broad chests and shoulders. Males are significantly larger than females, and a mature male, known as a "silverback," can stand over 6 feet tall and weigh up to 400-500 pounds (or more in captivity).
Appearance: They have large, human-like hands, small eyes set into hairless faces, and distinctive brow ridges. Silverbacks develop a saddle of silvery hair on their backs as they mature, which gives them their name.
Gorillas are primarily herbivores, with their diet consisting mainly of vegetation. The exact composition of their diet varies by species and subspecies, and also seasonally.
Gorillas are highly social animals and live in groups called troops. The typical troop structure is a harem, led by a dominant adult male, the silverback. He is responsible for leading, protecting, mediating conflicts within the group, and breeding with the females.
Gorillas communicate through a complex repertoire of vocalizations (grunts, hoots, screams, roars) and body language, including the famous chest-beating display.
(Photographed at the San Diego Zoo, Nikon D500, Nikon 300/2.8, 1/125 @ f/5.6, ISO 200, edited to taste)