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 GORILLA
FACTS
Similar
...but different
This gentle giant fascinates because of its strength
and intelligence. The name “gorilla” means hairy person and was
coined by an explorer from ancient Carthage almost 2,500 years ago.
Gorillas are the largest of the primates. An adult male can weigh
350-600 pounds. They have thick, springy hair covering most of their
bodies. However, adults do not have hair on the face, chest, palms or
the soles of their feet. They can live more than 50 years.
There are an estimated 125,000 gorillas
among the four subspecies. The Louisville Zoo gorilla troop will be
captive-born Western lowland gorillas - the subspecies found in almost
all the world’s zoos.
The Western lowland gorillas Gorilla
gorilla gorilla are also the most plentiful and relatively
widespread subspecies in the wild with a population of 110,500 animals.
They are located across the political borders of six countries in west
Equatorial Africa. Almost 80 percent are in the Congo and Gabon, with a
few troops also in Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon
and Nigeria.
An estimated 10,500 Eastern lowland
gorillas Gorilla gorilla graueri are located slightly east of the
Congo Basin in Central African Republic and Zaire. The extremely rare
Mountain gorilla Gorilla gorilla beringei numbers only 500 and is
concentrated in the volcanic regions of Rwanda, Uganda and Zaire.
The biggest threat to gorillas is the loss
of land due to human development. Gorillas need large areas of dense
forest. Lumbering and farming compete for space and war refugees create
additional demands on limited resources. Poaching for bush meat or
trophies is yet another threat.
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Gorillas can stand on their legs but
they walk using their legs and “hands” in a four-footed manner, which
is an easier way to balance the heavy weight of their head and upper
body. They use the hand like a foot and walk on the knuckles.
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While people have arms equal in length
to their legs, gorillas’ arms are proportionately different. An
average male gorilla is six inches shorter than an average man but its
arms are about a foot longer. A gorilla can use its feet to grab.
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Although its head is larger, a gorilla’s
brain is smaller than a human’s.
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The bones and muscles of gorillas and
humans are similar but the body shape is different. The gorilla’s
stomach is much larger than the chest, permitting the gorilla to eat
and store bulky, vegetative food.
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Gorilla groups can be composed of
different social forms. Family troops are lead by an adult male,
commonly identified as a “silverback.” Although some groups may be
all male, one adult will be the lead, or the “silverback.” The troop
spends most of its time in search of the 40 pounds of leaves, stems
and roots each adult needs. At night they build nests for sleeping,
sometimes in trees, sometimes on the ground.
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They are methodical in search of food
and they are smart enough to remember when and where the most
desirable food ripens. They savor their meals, smacking lips together
and grumbling with contentment.
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The physical parts and mechanics of a
gorilla’s hand are similar to a human’s but it is twice as big.
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A baby gorilla may weigh only 4.5 pounds
at birth but grow to become a 400-pound adult. A male gorilla can
weigh twice as much as a female.
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The faces of gorillas are different from
one another, just like humans.
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Gorillas are gentle animals. They treat
each other with kindness and consideration.
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