10 interesting facts about gorillas (9 photos + 1 video)

Gorillas look terrifying, but their personalities are not what people often think. Let's dive into the world of gorillas and learn more about these “wild but cute” distant “relatives”.





1. The image of King Kong has caused people to associate gorillas with aggressive behavior, but in reality they are calm, peace-loving creatures. Moreover, gorillas are mainly herbivores, so they are almost constantly busy getting food and have no time to fight and attack other animals.



2. Gorillas living in the wild hardly drink because they eat lush greens. Gorillas do not like rain and avoid bodies of water.







3. Gorillas, like chimpanzees, unlike most other animals, when walking, rely not on the palms and fingertips, but on the outer side of the bent fingers, and this is not without reason: this method of movement keeps the skin of the palms thin and sensitive.



4. Until the 19th century, people considered gorillas to be mythical animals, and all stories about them were native tales.



5. Gorillas use sixteen different sounds to communicate with each other, which can be considered similar to speech.



6. Gorillas live in “harems”: an adult male, several females and their offspring. The male sets an example of behavior for the flock - for example, he is the first to settle down for the night in the evening - and also determines the daily routine, feeding place, etc.



7. When the male leader of a troop of gorillas is dissatisfied with something, he stages a demonstration: first he hoots, then he screams, and finally he begins to make his way through the jungle with noise and crashing and pounding his hands on the ground. However, he never resorts to physical aggression - the demonstration is enough to frighten the entire flock and restore order.

The same thing happens when the “harem” of one male is encroached upon by another: the males demonstrate themselves until one of them intimidates the other, and then the frightened male - most often the one who came - leaves, and the winner returns to the pack.

8. Gorillas are the largest of the primates: the height of adult males can reach up to two meters, the width of the shoulders is about a meter, and the average weight is 150 kilograms. Females are approximately half the size.

9. Gorillas rarely attack a person who stands still and meets the animal face to face. But if you turn your back and run, the monkey begins to chase the enemy on all fours and, having caught up, bites like a dog.

10. Gorillas have enormous strength, but, nevertheless, humans are gradually replacing them. Gorillas are traditional food and the target of poaching for many peoples in Africa. Because of this, as well as deforestation, gorillas are unfortunately in danger of extinction.