Do mountain gorillas live in families
Mountain gorillas live in family units called troops which are led by a dominant male called the dominant silverback who directs and coordinates all the activities of the family
The family often comprises of 5-40 members . In case of many silverbacks in the family , they all fight and the strongest and the brave one takes over leadership of the family and the defeated ones either remain in the group as subordinates of the dominant silverback of flee into solitude and possibly die lonely or form another family that they will lead
Insides gorilla family , there are the following members
Dominant silverback
Black back
Adult female
Female juveniles
Infants
Other silverbacks in case of other mature males
Each one of the above has a significant role they play especially the elders in the group .
Dominant silverback
This is the renown leader of the group whose key role is to protect the family , solve conflicts within the family , breed with the females to expand his genetics .
If the infants lose their mothers , it is the role of the dominant silverback to take care of the infants , nurture them and increase their chances of survival by filling in the gap left by their mother.
Black backs
These are younger makes in the group usually between 8-12 years old with no silver hair on their backs like the older silverbacks.
Their main role is to provide support to the dominant silverback and play a significant role in protecting the group
Adult females.
The adult females do not easily bond with each other in the group and constantly compete for attention from the dominant silverback .
Once they give birth, the females are highly bonded with their infants during their first 3-4 years of life giving them nurturing and the moral support needed
In most cases, only the dominant silverback is allowed to mate with the females in the group however in cases where there are other silverbacks in the group , they can secretly mate with the females since it becomes an offense which is heavily punishable once discovered
Gorillas move from one place to another in search for food and as soon as they are done eating , they begin constructing their nest where they will rest and sleep in the night
Gorilla families also mark their territories to avoid meeting with other families .
Once they lose a member of the family, gorillas mourn their loved ones and have funerals conducted just like humans .
Conclusively, mountain gorillas just like humans live in families where hierarchy is strictly followed and respected and family duties allocated
