Mountain Gorilla

Largest primate in the world

Meeting the mountain gorilla is high on the wish list of many travellers. An encounter with these great apes is magical. These animals have become one of the symbols of the richness of nature in Africa. You can search for mountain gorillas in the following countries: Uganda, Rwanda and Republic of Congo.

Not an official species

The mountain gorilla is not actually a species. Officially his name is Eastern Gorilla. In addition, the western gorilla, also known as lowland gorilla, lives in Africa. Scientists are still debating the number of subspecies.

Largest primate in the world

This animal is the largest primate in the world, they grow to almost two meters (when standing upright). They roam the flanks of the mountains in Central Africa. A habitat can be as much as 800 hectares. They mainly look for leaves, young shoots and the pith from bamboo stems. They also eat fruits, roots, bark, mushrooms and ants.

The impressive silverback

The dominant silverback (due to its light coloration on its back) is the sire of most of the young in the group. A group can contain up to 40 individuals. You do not find these animals in zoos, they cannot thrive here. So, only the wild animals are left.

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How to visit mountain gorillas

The fact is that nature lovers should one day come face to face with these animals. What a unique experience. And you will see that these animals exhibit a remarkable amount of human behaviour. Or is it the other way around? Do we exhibit much of their behaviour?

Best places to see a mountain gorilla