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Western Lowland Gorilla
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Mammals |
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Africa |
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Afrika Pavilion |
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Pongidae |
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60 to 275 K.G |
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Tropical Forests |
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Grass, fruits, flowers |
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251 to 297 |
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1 |
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Leopards |
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Endangered |
The largest ape
on earth does not eat any meat.........
Gorillas are the largest apes on earth. Their black skin is covered with a rough
black or brown fur. Gorillas are probably one of the animals that touch human’s
heart and imagination the most. The strong and massive body shape and human like
face is a fascinating mix. Gorillas can climb trees despite their large size,
but their enormous muscular figure limits their moves in trees. The size varies
between 1.4 and 1.8 metre (4.5 to 6 feet) in an upright position. The male’s
weight can vary between 140 and 275 kg (300 to 600 lbs) and that of a female can
vary between 60 and 140 kg (130 to 300 lbs). On the ground, gorillas walk on all
four, leaning on their knuckles and standing on the ball of their feet. Their
senses are similar to those of humans; they have an excellent eyesight and
colour vision. The Western Lowland Gorilla is diurnal and is found in the
tropical forests of Western Africa as well as Central and Eastern Africa.
Gorillas are strict herbivores feeding mostly on fruit and leaves. They live in
small groups lead by a dominant adult male called “silverback”. One of the
male’s roles is to protect its group from predators. A female will give birth to
only one young at a time every four years. This mammal can live up to 35 years
in nature. An adult has no predators, only a leopard could attempt to attack
this animal. The most important threat comes from human creating a loss of
habitat and who also hunts entire populations for the meat. The Western Lowland
Gorilla is an endangered species.