Table of Contents

Gorillas

The strongest animals

Gorillas are one of the strongest animals in the world taking into account size and weight. In general, gorillas are anywhere from four to 10 times stronger than an average adult male human. A well-trained human can lift around 900 pounds of dead weight, while a silverback gorilla can lift around 1,800 pounds. Some gorillas will tear down banana trees to get the fruit. Their grip is so strong that they could crush a crocodile's skull. 1)

Bwindi gorilla

The Bwindi gorilla is a proposed third subspecies of Gorilla beringei. It refers to the mountain gorilla, the Bwindi population. It has not yet received trinomen. 2)

Intelligence

Gorillas are the largest of the currently living primates that are considered human-like. This means they have an upright posture, are intelligent, and can make and use tools. 3)

Herbivores

Gorillas have a gentle disposition and are herbivorous. 4)

Coprophagous

Gorillas consume about twenty kilograms of food every day, and these are mainly fruits, roots, plants, shoots, and tree bark. The species also tend to be coprophagous or eat its own feces. 5)

Only in Africa

Gorillas in the wild are found only in Africa, and primarily in areas of Nigeria, Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Gabon, and Angola. 6)

6 feet tall

The world's largest gorilla was the height of a tall adult male, 6ft 5in to be exact. 7)

Social animals

Gorillas love to spend time with other members of their species and communicate with them not only through sounds but also through facial expressions. 8)

Climbing

Due to their sizable size, males much prefer to stick to the ground, while young gorillas and lighter females are fond of climbing trees. 9)

Fingerprints

Like humans, gorillas have fingerprints, and the fingerprints of one gorilla are unique. 10)

Pregnancy

Pregnancy lasts 250 days, and baby gorillas are born with their eyes open and sleep by their mother's side for five years. 11)

Gorillai

The etymology of the word “gorilla” goes back to the Greek language and the word “gorillai”, which meant “tribe of hairy women”. They were so named by a Carthaginian sailor who arrived in the fifth century BC in what is now Sierra Leone. 12)

Snowflake

In the 1960s, a completely unusual gorilla was captured in Equatorial Guinea. It was an albino gorilla with a completely white coat and pale skin. He was transferred to the Barcelona Zoo and was christened Snowflake. To date, he is the only known albino among gorillas. 13)

Sign language

Gorillas can learn a kind of sign language and weave elaborate narratives using it. One gorilla described the death of his mother, who was killed by poachers. 14)

Silverback

The back of a male gorilla that has reached maturity is covered with white fur. He is then said to have a “silverback,” or silver back, and this is not at all a sign of aging. 15)

Leopards

In the wild, the gorilla's greatest threat is the leopard, which can remain unnoticed until the last moment and, thanks to its strength, can handle an opponent much larger than it. 16)

Fermented fruit

Gorillas do not drink much water, as the water they find in the fruits they eat is sufficient. They are also fond of the latter because of the alcoholic taste of fermented delicacies, hence scientists' conclusion that gorillas have a propensity for stimulants. 17)