Why cant you make eye contact with a gorilla
Mountain gorillas are found in only 4 countries world wide ie Uganda , ,Rwanda and Democratic republic of Congo .
The national parks where they are habited are Bwindi Impenetrable national park and Mgahinga in Uganda , Volcanoes National park in Rwanda and Virunga National park in Democratic Republic of Congo
Mountain gorillas are the closest to humans as they share 98% DNA with humans
Mountain gorillas live in higher altitudes and they belong to the eastern gorilla species.
mountain gorillas belong to kingdom Animalia , phylum Chordata and class mammalia and 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 distinctive from other gorillas as they have thick fur on their bodies , unique nose prints to each individual , muscular arms , Massive chest and broad hands and feet.
Mountain gorillas feed on vegetation ie roots , leaves , shoots , fruits among others .
An adult male feeds about 30kg of vegetation per day while an adult female feeds on about 18kg of vegetation per day
Mountain gorillas live in groups or families headed by a dominant silverback who makes family decisions like eating time and sleeping time and also mates with the females in the group.
Mountain gorillas rank as the most endangered primates in the wild due to factors like poaching , habitat destruction and diseases
There are about 1063 gorilla individuals remaining in the wild.
Why cant you make eye contact with a gorilla
When a person makes a direct contact with a gorilla it means that one is ready to fight the gorilla
Eye contact forces the gorilla to charge inorder to fight you in protection of the family members
Eye contact makes the gorilla thick that you are an enemy or threat to the family.
Gorilla trekking rules and regulations
Healthy tourists are the only ones allowed to trek since mountain gorillas are prone to human diseases like flu
Cameras with flashlight are highly discouraged because gorillas will be threatened
Tourists are required to leave a distance of about 7m from gorillas to prevent them from touching them
Smoking , eating and drinking in the sight of gorillas is not allowed
Noise making is not allowed while trekking for it makes gorillas threatened
Tourists are required to have groups of 8 people required to visit particular family
what to carry
waterproof hiking boots
garden gloves
Long sleeved shirts
long trousers
Rain coats
Insect repellent
Hat
Binoculars
Walking stick
In conclusion , mountain gorillas are very shy and gentle creatures that never attack unless threatened.
