How strong are the mountain gorillas?
How strong are the mountain gorillas? : Mountain gorillas are known to be huge and scarily; and this makes them look really strong to the humans and may be other animals in the wild. But are they really as strong as they look?
Well there is no doubt about that, mountain gorillas are strong, they are known to carry heavy things that weigh even up to 180 kgs or more. And also when they are angry, they will fight and trample over their opponent with uttermost strength, and the opponent rarely survives the trampling. This kind of strength exhibited in fighting will surely rank the mountain gorilla a strong animal.
Compared to a human mountain gorillas have shown to be 6 times stronger than a strong human. Many studies have shown that mountain gorillas can carry things that as heavy as 10 times their body weight. A mountain gorilla’s body weight is between 100 kg to 190 kg. Males weigh more than females and of course much stronger than the females.
Mountain gorillas are endangered primates living in high altitudes in forested mountains. They have brown coloured faces, brown limb and a hairy body all over. They have four limbs on which they move and also do their other survival activities.
They feed on leaves, fruits, shrubs and small insects. They live in groups of about 5 to 15 individuals led by a male gorilla called a silverback. The mountain gorilla groups are made up of mostly females and their young ones; in some case one of two black backs – Black backs are males in the group that are like second in command from the main silverback.
Mountain gorillas are the most sought after animals in the wild, by tourists in the East African region just after the big five which are the lions, leopards, elephants, Rhinos and Buffaloes. Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, all receive about 10,000 people yearly who visit the countries to have a glimpse at these mountain gorillas.
People seeking a chance to glimpse the mountain gorillas, go on mountain gorilla trekking experiences in either of these parks in the above mentioned countries.
Uganda – Bwindi National Park and Mgahinga National Park
Rwanda – Volcanoes National Park
Democratic Republic of Congo – Virunga National Park
On a mountain gorilla trekking experience, you will enter into a forested mountain climb up deep into the forest in search of the mountain gorillas. Depending on the park you are trekking you will find the gorillas in about 3 to 5 hours and then you will spend an hour with the gorillas before you trek downhill back to the your accommodation or next destination.
When going mountain gorilla trekking you will need to observe a number of rules that include but not limited to:- keeping a 7 meter distance between you and the mountain gorillas, not irritating the mountain gorillas in any way, not using flash photography, not feeding the gorillas, not touching the gorillas, not making funny noises in the presence of the gorillas, not littering the gorilla habitat and not trekking while you are ill – you may easily spread any disease to the gorillas. Most of these rules are communicated to you at the brief before the gorilla trek and by you tour operator.
Mountain gorilla trekking happens all through the year in any of the mentioned parks and trekking permits cost USD 700 for Uganda, USD 1500 for Rwanda and USD 400 for the Democratic Republic of Congo. In this COVID-19 era, trekkers are required to have tested negative for COVID-19 at least 72 hours prior to the trekking experience.
