For How Long Can Mountain Gorillas Live in the Wild?
For how long can mountain gorillas live in the wild? In the wild, a gorilla’s lifetime is believed to be between 35 and 40 years. In captivity, they can survive for up to 50 years. Although the oldest gorilla, known as Western Gorilla “female,” died at the age of 69 on January 17, 2017 at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.
However, gorillas share 98 percent of their DNA with humans, making them the human closest cousins after chimps and baboons. Mountain gorillas are clever creatures and a critically endangered species that shares 98 percent of our DNA.
Lowland gorillas may be found in the forests of Gabon, Nigeria, Angola, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, among other places. While the giant Mountain Gorillas reside in the tropical rain forests of Africa’s mountain ranges. Mountain gorillas may be found in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The habitats, colors, and lengths of their hair differ between these two species. Gorillas care for their elderly members in the same manner that humans do. According to the World Wildlife Fund, gorillas show clear symptoms of aging. Mountain Gorillas have a life expectancy of 35 to 40 years, and they frequently suffer from arthritis, which destroys their bones, hands, and feet.
In comparison to mountain gorillas, gorillas in zoos can live up to 50 years. They may also have tooth loss, indicating an eating issue. This is due to the fact that gorillas take longer to feed than other members of the family, which contributes to a reduction in the lifetime of gorillas, resulting in their premature death.
Mountain gorillas often live for 35 to 40 years. The aging effect, which mostly destroys the bones in their hands and feet, causes arthritis in old gorillas.
Old gorillas also confront a problem with tooth loss as a result of periodontitis, which makes eating difficult. Older gorillas like traveling more than younger members of the family thus gorilla trekking experience.
Mountain gorillas may be seen in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and Virunga National Park, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Kahuzi Biega National Park.
Interesting Facts about Mountain Gorillas
Mountain gorillas travel in groups of up to 40 people, each led by a silverback. An mature male gorilla may weigh up to 200 kg and stand 6 feet tall on two legs. Female mountain gorillas typically give birth between the ages of 4 and 6 years, with gestation duration of around 8 and a half months.
Female gorillas can attain sexual maturity at the age of ten, whilst males become sexually active at the age of fifteen. Female gorillas can give birth to 2 to 6 kids in their lifetime and end up initiating mating.
Mountain gorillas consume fruits, bamboo shoots, leaves, stems, insects, and small animals during the day. They are unable to thrive outside of their natural environments. Old mountain gorillas frequently grow white fur on their backs, earning them the nickname “silverbacks.”
Mountain gorillas may be found in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, both of which are located in the south-western area of the country, roughly 9 to 10 hours’ drive from Kampala to the primary safari destination.
Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safaris, on the other hand, take place in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park, which is home to over 21 habituated gorilla families, and Mgahinga Gorilla national park, which is home to two gorilla families. As a result, Bwindi offers four gorilla trekking sectors where visitors may have gorilla trekking experience: Buhoma, Nkuringo, Rushaga, and Rushaga sector.
To visit Mountain Gorillas, a tourist must get permission in advance. A permit costs USD700 per person per hike in Uganda, USD 1500 in Rwanda, and USD 400 in Congo. It is best to schedule your permit ahead of time to prevent disappointment, especially during peak season, which runs from June to September and December to February.
Gorilla trekking is a one-hour fascinating experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda, or you may choose for a four-hour gorilla habituation trip in Rushaga sector in the park, where you will be escorted by researchers, park rangers, and scientists involved in gorilla conservation.
Visitors can also do gorilla trekking in Uganda from Kigali in Rwanda. This option is the best for visitors who can afford doing gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park. Make sure to take a PCR Test at least 2 days to your gorilla trekking safari in Uganda or Rwanda.
