Gorilla Facts
Just A Few Astounding Gorilla Facts
Gorilla facts are somewhat easy to come by these days, with the world wide interest sparked by activists against poaching since the 1950’s. The gorilla is the largest member of the primate family, and all three distinct species of this primate have their very own set of needs and behaviors, though they are quite similar in build and appearance. The western lowland, the eastern lowland, and the mountain gorillas are distinguished by the region in which they choose to live, as they are extremely territorial creatures and will tolerate invasion from clans of their own region, let alone drifters. Wherever the silverback roams for food, the rest of his harem and followers will follow, and when he says it’s nap time, they follow suit or else.
Yes, sleep is a very important activity for the gorilla. Facts regarding the frequency and the bonding rituals revolved around sleeping and napping gorillas was first begun in the wild, then further analyzed in captivity. 6 o’clock pm marks bed time for the night, in a new nest that was made that day, and will be abandoned that morning. 6 o’clock am is rise and shine time, and these large primates take their time coming to. They wake, groom, nap, talk for a little while, dose off, and then it’s off to the daily forage. Some gorilla facts have found a group roaming only 300 yards during a day for feeding, and this is quite possible when the lands are fertile and giving. It is far more common for the group to be forced into trekking and foraging up to 3 miles in one day. Once the group has taken their nutritional quota for the day, it’s time to build a new nest and get back to the important business of sleeping.
In general, gorilla facts about child rearing mirror those of the human experience, and it is truly wonderful to watch the carefree lives of these mischievous little youngsters and the adults who love them. Mother is loving and protective, playful yet stern where she needs to be, and the youngsters will learn everything they need to know from her. She must also teach them to respect their elders, and more importantly, not to disturb their silverback leader, for he rarely wishes to cohort and ramble with these busy little babies. In fact, though this behavior is more common with baboons, on very rare occasions, the male in charge will decide that he wants to mate a mother, but knows that she will have no part in such activity until her youngster is of age, so he will take her baby. This is an ugly and horrifying scene, and of yet is unexplained.