There are a number of different conservation projects for gorillas, as well as captive breeding programs in zoos. Poaching is the primary cause of decline, followed by habitat destruction. War in the area increases the amount of weapons available to poachers, and the demand for bushmeat increases because the war drains resources. The IUCN lists both species as Critically Endangered because of human impact. Human activity heavily impacts all species and subspecies of gorillas. She even had a number of kittens as pets, which she named herself, and she met numerous celebrities. She used sign language to communicate with her handlers in ways more complex than anyone could have imagined. Koko understood American Sign Language, and knew over 1,000 different signs. She helped scientists understand so much more about gorilla intelligence and behavior than they had before. Koko was a groundbreaking gorilla, and she participated in hundreds of behavioral studies. Remembering Koko the GorillaĮarly in the morning on June 19, 2018, Koko the gorilla passed away peacefully in her sleep at the age of 46. The plants they eat contain lots of moisture, so they rarely drink water. Outside plants, gorillas also occasionally eat ants, termites, and some other insects. The exact plants eaten vary by season, species, and region. They do eat fruit, but it does not make up a large portion of their diet. The vast majority of their diet contains leaves, shoots, stems, and other plant parts. Gorillas are primarily herbivores, which means that they eat plants. Eastern gorillas live in a small range in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Western gorillas live primarily in Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Congo, and Cameroon. The western gorilla lives in the forests of western Africa, and is more widespread than the eastern gorilla. The different species and subspecies of gorillas have different ranges. Though they live in forests, and can climb well, gorillas spend much of their time on the ground. Some of their preferred habitats are bamboo forests, lowland swamps, mountain forests, lowland forests, and more. Many species live in mountainous regions, and some even live up to 13,000 ft. Some species or subspecies live in dense forests, others in swamps. Once baby gorillas reach three years of age, they build their own nests close to their mothers.ĭifferent species and subspecies of gorillas prefer different habitats. The nests are around two feet and five feet across, and each gorilla builds its own nest. Unlike orangutans, gorillas usually sleep in nests on the ground instead of in the trees. Nesting – Just like orangutans, gorillas build nests.However, gorillas are generally peaceful when left alone, and tend to avoid a life of crime. One of a Kind – If a gorilla committed a crime, we could discover who did it by using some of the same techniques that we use for humans! This is because gorillas not only have fingerprints, but every fingerprint is different, just like in humans.Because of this trait, many people call them “silverbacks.” This coloration runs from the back to the hips of adult males. Silverback – Adult male gorillas develop silver-grey hair on their backs.Oddly enough, anteaters also walk on their knuckles! Chimpanzees also knuckle-walk, but they walk on their rear legs more frequently than do gorillas. They close their fists, and place their hands knuckle-down on the ground to walk on all fours. Locomotion – While gorillas can move about on their hind legs when necessary, they usually travel by knuckle-walking.Learn more about what makes these unique creatures worth protecting below. Sadly, warfare within the countries in which these apes live is directly impacting them. These intelligent apes have intrigued us for centuries. The subspecies that live in mountainous regions have even thicker fur than their counterparts. They have thick black fur across their bodies, save for their faces, the palms of their hands, and the bottoms of their feet.
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