Western lowland gorilla
Western lowland gorillas are the smallest among all the gorilla subspecies . They belong to the Western gorilla species and inhabit the montane , primary and secondary forests as well as lowland swamps of Central Africa in the countries of Democratic Republic of Congo , Republic of Congo , Equatorial Guinea , Angola, and Cameroon.
The physical characteristics of western lowland gorillas include ; jet black skin with black hair that covers their entire body , male adult western lowland gorillas have grey hair on their back thus referred to as silverbacks , have large hands , short muzzles , prominent brow ridges , large nostrils , and small eyes .
Although western lowland gorillas appear to be the smallest they have a reasonable size and are very strong creatures.
Western lowland gorillas live in groups comprising of about 5 to 30 members headed by a dominant silverback . The silverback has roles like protecting the family , leading members to feeding places and nesting places and mating with females in the group.
Western lowland gorillas are ground animals although they have the capacity to climb trees. Female western lowland gorillas become mature at the age of 8 to 9 years implying they can start to give birth . Their gestation period is 8.5 months .
A male western lowland gorilla reaches sexual maturity at the age of 11 to 12 years .
Western lowland gorillas feed on vegetation which consists of shoots , roots, stems, leaves and small fruits.
Facts about western lowland gorillas
Western lowland gorillas are the smallest among the 4 gorilla species
Western lowland gorillas have large hands , thumbs with nails on all digits similar to those of humans
A male adult Western lowland gorilla can weigh about 150kg while a female gorilla can weigh about 90kg .
Western lowland gorillas walk a longer distance in search for food
Western lowland gorillas are usually peaceful and only attack when disturbed .
Female western lowland gorillas have a low reproduction rate as they start giving birth at the age of 8 to 9 years .
Western lowland gorillas do not usually live in areas near human settlements .
Some of the popular national parks where to see western lowland gorillas
Odzala kokoua National in Republic of Congo
Loango National Park in Gabon
Ntokou Pikounda national in Republic of Congo
Novable Ndoki National park in Republic of Congo.
Trekking western lowland gorillas
Gorilla trekking is an outdoor activity that involves heading to the dense tropical rainforests in search of gorillas .
Trekking western lowland gorillas begins very early in the morning because its when gorillas are most active
Trekking begins with a briefing at the park head quarters and then tourists are grouped in groups of 8 people allowed to trek every group.
Trekking takes about 2 to 6 hours and when gorillas are allocated then tourists will be allowed to spend only 1 hour with them .
Best time to visit western lowland gorillas
The best time to visit the gorillas is in the dry season in the months of June to September and December to February . This is because the passages are dry thus easier trekking .
