Mountain gorillas are among the most unique  wildlife species in the world with only an estimated total number of 880 Mountain Gorillas exist.

Mountain gorillas belong to the ape family and are described as being bulkiest in colour. A gorilla adult normally grows up to 1.8m high and they are scientifically identified as Gorilla Beringei beringei.

These were discovered in 1903 and named after a German officer Oscar Von Berenge who enabled its classification.

The world endangered Mountain Gorillas can be confronted on a gorilla trekking safari through the dense/ green tropical rain forest of Africa and the only main options or opportunities left in the whole world for a memorable gorilla trekking safari is by taking Uganda gorilla trekking Safari, a Rwanda Gorilla Safari or Congo Gorilla safari tour.

Mountain gorillas are mostly social and live in groups or families mainly composed of twelve (12) animals consisting of more or one dominant silverback males, female gorillas as well as some younger black back males and infants gorillas.

The dominant Male gorillas are called Silverbacks because of the whitish colour that they poses on their backs caused by a thinning as well as graying of their coats when they are Mature/ grown up.

Mountain Gorillas communicate in different ways and among the many include calls like humans do, facial expressions and physical gestures.

Adult males called silver backs mainly use barks and roars during encounters or when coordinating the movement of the group or family to a different new area.

Gorillas also communicate friendly with grunts of happiness as part of group joining, especially when they find food and feed.

This makes gorilla trekking safaris experience of its own because it gives an opportunity to the traveler to study other human brothers living the forest jungle.

Mountain Gorillas mainly feed on vegetables and leaves in their natural forested montane habitat which they easily pick and stuff into their mouths without any hassle.

They have distended bellies and hence they feed a lot especially when standing on the ground with access to very short trees and those with overhanging branches.

Female Mountain Gorillas have on average about five (5) live births in a lifetime but have only one offspring at a time.

The baby Mountain gorilla from the time it’s birth until it’s three month old, spends most of its young hood stage with the mother who is very caring, protective of it that she carries or keeps it held to her chest for almost three months, then right from three to six months the baby will able to occasionally ride on the mother’s back, with more liberty granted as the baby grows progressively older.

Gorilla life is more peaceful in comparison to that of other primate species i.e. chimpanzees. Mountain gorillas spend most of their time looking for food (leaves, vegetables), lounging lazily around among other activities.

Mountain Gorillas are not easily seen by humans mainly because human presence /existence highly irritate them and they mainly tend to melt into the undergrowth when encountered by human .

This is one of the reasons as to why specific number of trekkers on Gorilla trekking safaris to Uganda or Rwanda (usually 8) are allowed to trek one habituated Gorilla group.

The one way mountain gorillas are made used to Humans is habituation process, mountain gorillas are made used to human presence and they can be confronted as well as viewed at closer distance of 7 or 8 meters.

The habituation process mainly takes at least two years and requires over this period of time, the trekker visiting a group or family of Mountain gorillas daily till the time when they become used to people.

Then afterwards, they are opened to be visited by visitors on Gorilla trekking safaris.
Uganda Safaris /Uganda Safari News
wild gorilla Safari News