Studying the life of mountain gorillas is very interesting, and this is mostly done on your gorilla habituation safari to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. However, below are some of the detailed facts and information about the life of mountain gorillas.
How do gorillas sleep?
Gorillas sleep in nests, which they build on the ground or in trees, depending on various variables, such as the vegetation and the security situation. Every evening mountain gorillas construct a new nest, even if it is only a few meters from the nest they used the night before.
Each animal builds its own nest, although only infants can sleep in the same nest as their mothers. About half an hour before it gets dark gorillas settle in their respective nests. Occasionally, they also build nests for the midday rest.
To build a ground nest, the animals pull the branches of bushes and other plants into the center, layer them and anchor them to each other. Other plants are bent in to form the nest rim. Tree nests are built mainly in forks of branches or similar structures. The nest has to be constructed in such a way that it can carry the weight of the gorilla.
Females and young animals prefer to sleep in trees, whereas silverback males hardly ever do.
Are gorillas endangered? – About life of mountain gorillas.
Mountain gorillas are considered world-wide and by the African Wildlife Foundation as an endangered specie, because their numbers had almost reached extinction. Since learning that, gorillas are one of the animal types that caught the attention of wildlife conservation groups all around the world.
Although not all gorillas subspecies are declared endangered, their population has been severely devastated because of human activities for the past several decades.
Among the subspecies, the mountain gorilla is considered to be the most endangered type of gorillas. This is attributed to several anthropogenic activities such as poaching, war, and forests denudation, which all affect the life of mountain gorillas.
How long do gorillas live?
In general, gorillas have a life span of 40 to 45 years, although some can make it up to 50 years. When these animals hit the age of 35, they begin to suffer from age related illnesses. Signs of aging among these animals include arthritis, teeth loss, difficulty in moving and seclusion/isolation away from the group.
Book yourself a gorilla habituation or gorilla trekking tour to learn more about the life mountain gorillas. These activities can be done either here in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda or Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.