The largest primates in the world, gorillas, are now threatened with extinction. Human activities put these monkeys on the verge of extinction, depriving them of their usual habitats and driving them from their homes. Now the gorillas live in national parks of some African countries, and many tourists come to see them, but they have to be careful – these animals are sometimes unpredictable.
Growth of an adult male can reach 2 meters, and width of shoulders – meter. The adult gorilla is stronger than any person on earth. On average, a male is 6-8 times stronger than a trained male. When walking on the arms and legs, the gorilla rests not on the palm, but on clenched fists. Of all the monkeys, only they do so and chimpanzees. Gorilla DNA is similar to human DNA by more than 95%. By degree of kinship with us, the gorillas are second only to two of the species of chimpanzees. All other monkeys have less kinship with humans. These animals in the wild are found only in Africa. Hunting them everywhere is prohibited. The brain volume of an adult gorilla reaches 600 cubic centimeters.
Among all the monkeys, the gorillas are the largest. Of all the types of gorillas, the least mountainous remains in the world are just over 600 individuals. And in captivity, they do not live at all, refusing food. Like people, they can walk upright, on two legs. The weight of an adult male gorilla can reach 200 kg, and its musculature is usually better developed than that of a professional athlete. The first three years of life of baby gorillas are completely defenseless, and are completely dependent on the mother, who protects them. Pregnancy for gorillas lasts almost as long as it does for humans – about 8.5 months. These creatures usually live in groups of up to 30 individuals. At the head of the group is the strongest male, usually the oldest and most experienced. From time to time, young rivals dare to challenge him.
The ability to reproduce the gorilla acquire only at the age of 11-13 years. Gorillas can live on average up to 50 years. Even dangerous predators like leopards avoid meeting with male gorillas, because the outcome of such a fight is very difficult to predict. When an enemy attacks, males are engaged in defense, and females save themselves and cubs. At the same time, the gorillas at first always try to intimidate the enemy by snarling and hitting themselves in the chest. And they rush forward if the enemy is fleeing, and bite him, so for some tribes in Africa the gorilla bite is considered a shameful wound. The reason is simple – if the hunter was bitten by a gorilla, it means that he ran away from her, and, therefore, he chickened out. At night, the gorillas always sleep, but very sensitively, and getting to them imperceptibly is almost impossible. The males of gorillas are fighting, only challenging the right to lead. But the females sometimes quarrel among themselves.
Gorillas do not like water, although they can swim. They even try to hide from the rain. About 30-35% of the total wakefulness of the gorillas goes in search of food. These animals can make 22 different sounds that help them communicate with each other. In total, there are only about 175 thousand gorillas of all kinds combined on Earth right now. These monkeys can learn the basics of sign language and communicate with people with it. The American zoo gorilla, Koko, knew and used about 1000 gestures. During the day, the adult gorilla eats up to 30 kg of plant food. Most of the moisture they need, these animals are obtained from the lush foliage, and therefore drink water quite rarely.
