Why can’t you make eye contact with a gorilla? When a person makes direct eye contact with a gorilla, it means that the person is ready to fight the gorilla.
Eye contact forces the gorilla to charge in order to fight you to protect its family members. Eye contact makes the gorilla think that you are an enemy or a threat to the family.
Gorilla Trekking Rules & Regulations
- Only healthy tourists are allowed to trek because mountain gorillas are prone to human diseases like the flu.
- Cameras with flashlights are highly discouraged because they can threaten the gorillas.
- Tourists must keep a distance of about 7 meters from the gorillas to prevent touching them.
- Smoking, eating, and drinking near gorillas are not allowed.
- Making noise is not allowed while trekking, as it can threaten the gorillas.
- Tourists must form groups of 8 people to visit a particular gorilla family.
Mountain gorillas are very shy and gentle creatures that never attack unless they feel threatened.
Mountain gorillas are found in only four countries worldwide: Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The national parks where they live are Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mountain gorillas are the closest to humans, as they share 98% of their DNA with humans.
Mountain gorillas live in high altitudes and belong to the eastern gorilla species.
They belong to the kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, class Mammalia, and the order of Primates.
Mountain gorillas are the largest primates, with an adult male weighing about 150kg to 210kg and an adult female weighing about 80kg to 100kg.
Mountain gorillas are different from other gorillas because they have thick fur on their bodies, unique nose prints for each individual, muscular arms, massive chests, and broad hands and feet.
Mountain gorillas feed on vegetation, such as roots, leaves, shoots, and fruits, among others.
An adult male eats about 30kg of vegetation per day, while an adult female eats about 18kg of vegetation per day.
Mountain gorillas live in groups or families led by a dominant silverback. The silverback makes family decisions, such as eating and sleeping times, and also mates with the females in the group.
Mountain gorillas are the most endangered primates in the wild due to factors like poaching, habitat destruction, and diseases.
There are about 1,063 gorilla individuals remaining in the wild.
