Western gorilla
Western gorilla as referred to as the Gorilla gorilla is a large ape that is habited in Midwest Africa .
The western gorilla consists of two subspecies ie western lowland gorilla and cross river gorilla .
- Western lowland gorillas
Western lowland gorillas are found in the countries of Equatorial Guinea , Gabon , Democratic Republic of Congo , Republic of Congo , Central African Republic , Angola and Cameroon.
They physically distinguished by the following characteristic such as large hands , short muzzles , large nostrils , prominent brow ridges .
- Cross river gorilla
Cross river gorillas are found at the Cameroon – Nigeria border region and they are about 250 to 300 members left in the wild.
This gorilla species is critically endangered due to habitat destruction, diseases , and poaching .
However the governments of Cameroon and Nigeria have worked hand in hand with wildlife conservation organisations to protect the endangered cross river gorillas.
The physical characteristics of cross river gorillas are dark brown to black fur , broad head, flat face, long and muscular arms with broad hands and curved fingers.
Western gorillas are lighter coloured as compared to the eastern gorillas . They have dark brown grey hair on their bodies .
An adult western gorilla weighs about 165kg to 200kg and an adult female weighs about 70kg to 100kg .
Behaviors of western gorillas
Western gorillas live in groups called families with the leader being the silverback gorilla .A silverback is an adult male gorilla with silver greyish hair on the back .
The silverback heads the family taking on responsibilities of deciding the feeding and nesting areas, defending the family in case of any attacks and mating with the females in the group.
A gorilla family comprises of about 4 to 30 members . Gorillas are very most active during the morning hours at 7am as they are searching for food and rest during midday and they usually build their nests in the evening at around 6pm.
Reproduction of western gorillas
Female western gorillas reach sexual maturity at the age of 8 to 9 . The gestation period of a female western gorilla is 8.5 months to 9 months .
After giving birth gorillas take about 4 years without giving birth again because they take care of the infants for 3 to 4 years .
This is the reason as to why they are slow to increase in their population.
Diet of western gorillas
Western gorillas feed on vegetation such as leaves , stems , fruits , flowers, roots , shoots and as well small insects.
An adult gorilla can eat up to 18kg of vegetation per day.
Conservation of western gorillas
The major threats to western gorillas are habitat loss, diseases , poaching and low reproduction rate . This has led to their failure to increase in number .
The governments of the countries where these great apes inhabit in partnership with wildlife conservation organisations have conserved gorillas through gorilla research , enforcing strict laws against poaching among others.
Best time to visit the western gorillas
The most preferred time to visit the western gorillas is the dry season in the months of June to September and December to February although they can be visited in other seasons .
Remarkably , western gorillas are friendly animals and so tourists create unforgettable memories while trekking .
