How do gorillas live: 10 interesting habits from the lives of the largest apes (11 photos)

Menacing, muscular, self-confident. Beneath the gorilla's ferocious appearance, it is extremely difficult to discern a pacifist. But they are like that! They eat their own vegetation, do not hunt anyone, and generally behave as calmly as possible. Perfect hominids! And yet, if you go a little deeper, you can find “secret pockets” in the gorilla.





10. How small!

Gorillas live in small groups, in which the smartest male is in charge. The remaining members of the squad are the “harem” of the alpha male and his offspring. If the female refuses to hand over the youngster to the authoritarian male, he will go for kidnapping. The mother knows very well that the strong man will play with the boy like a toy, supposedly for legal reasons. So he covers his own child to the best of his ability. The male does not want to enter into direct confrontations, but tries to calculate the opportune moment to steal.



9. “Don’t bring out the beast in me”

The male is generally sane and smart, but sometimes he gets so annoyed by his own relatives that he begins to freak out. Having seen how the head of the family engages in “shadow boxing”, you can decide that the ticket to the yellow house has already been paid for. But in fact, the leader chose a competent tactical move. In order not to betray his own family into nuts, he throws away the accumulated negativity to the side. He will bounce back, hit the ground properly and return to his family as a phlegmatic and tactful family man.





8. Their hearts don’t demand change.

Gorillas do not respect sudden changes in their exchanged lives. What can I say, they are terribly afraid of them. Experts have dubbed this fear neophobia. Wolves also have one, by the way. Something bright and unusual, falling on a familiar path, will cause confusion in the souls of animals. Changes in the environment can cause a gorilla to panic. A loud, sharp bang and a spark in pitch darkness will lead to stress. Natural disasters will have a negative impact on health.



7. Every barrel has a plug

If the male more or less knows how to calm down, then real fights take place in his harem. Female gorillas are so quarrelsome that it’s amazing. They, of course, always support each other as best they can. If one has an illness, then the rest will share this fate with her. They won't even go to lunch. But at the same time, the same “ladies” will easily enter into the struggle for possession of the desired fruit. They will scream, bite and argue until they drool, standing over the long-suffering cabbage head.



6. Doesn't smell like cologne.

Gorillas can communicate through scent. Experts call this phenomenon chemocommunication. It sounds nice, but it smells so-so. If one of the gorillas disappears from the dominant male’s field of vision, his body will react to the sweat glands, releasing an additional portion of pheromones. The female will definitely hear the “aroma”. The longer the male does not see the “young lady,” the stronger the release of his “violet” aromas. It is difficult to approach a nervous leader without a gas mask.



5. He who is with me is a hero

Gorillas are one of the most caring parents among primates, along with orangutans. They groom and cherish their offspring for about 3-4 years, and sometimes longer. But the grown gorillas are in no hurry to respond with gratitude. When a strong male goes out into the wild, as if by tradition, he tries to take as many of his relatives with him as possible. These are guards, food providers, and nannies for future offspring. It would be better to look for help on your own!



4. This is a fiasco

Previously, gorillas coexisted peacefully with chimpanzees, but recently the smaller ones have increasingly begun to attack the muscular ones of this world. Clashes occur so frequently that they have begun to resemble a protracted war. However, the strong-looking male gorilla is clearly inferior to the chimpanzee group. Intimidation tactics, which are effective with other forest inhabitants, no longer work here. Convinced of this, the dominant leader lowers his paws, raises the white flag and retreats.



3. No one needs

An experienced and powerful male protects the entire family. He cannot live any other way. The “young ladies” don’t worry about anything regarding safety. At least they could catch a glimpse of what he was doing there, protecting them. But if it happens that the leader “goes into the sunset” - a heroic fate or illness in the end, then the orphaned “harem” and offspring will become absolutely helpless. And if another strong male does not appear in their group in the near future, then an unenviable fate awaits everyone.



2. Stop by for a look

Gorillas, by the way, have no concept of other people's property. Any male, formed in someone else's family, can easily come to the neighboring territory with the aim of capturing it. The local “leader” will undoubtedly meet the intruders with all his ferocity. But it rarely comes to full-fledged battles. They will scream, kick in the chest and disperse. The real problem will come if the “captor” secretly kidnaps a couple of “young ladies” he likes. Then all hell breaks loose.



1. “My light, mirror, tell me”

Oh yes. Sometimes the leader behaves like the Queen Mother from Snow White. He also needs to make sure that he is the strongest and smartest in the area. To do this, the alpha leader came up with a whole ritual. He will straighten up to his full height, punch himself in the chest, and then run at high speed into the distance. It will sweep through all the windbreaks. Like, “Look how strong I am. Is everyone getting into it? Then the concert is over, the curtain is down." Finally, he will give a couple of slaps on the tree.