Mountain gorilla population
Mountain gorillas are the biggest gorilla species in the wild and they are habited in the tropical rain forests of Central and East Africa.
Mountain gorillas belong to the eastern gorilla and they are found in the countries of Uganda(Bwindi impenetrable national and mgahinga national park) , Rwanda (Volcanoes national park )and Democratic Republic of Congo(Virunga national park) .
The scientific name of mountain gorillas is Gorilla beringei . Mountain gorillas have thicker longer and darker fur compared to other gorillas , they have nose prints unique to each gorilla.
A male adult gorilla when standing reaches a height of 161cm to 171cm while a female adult gorilla reaches at an height of 150cm to 160cm.
Mountain gorillas share a DNA of 98%with humans meaning they are closest to them.
The gentle and gigantic creatures habit the high altitude areas of both montane and bamboo forests at an altitude of 8000ft to 13000ft above sea level .
Mountain gorillas are very social creatures living in families headed by a silverback who protects the group from enemies , mates with females and decides feeding places and resting time.
Mountain gorillas are the most endangered primates according to a report by IUCN in 2018 due to habitat loss , diseases and poaching.
The intelligent creatures are herbivores who feed on vegetation such as plant leaves, rooys, bamboo shoots, flowers , and fruits.
Mountain gorillas spend most of their day eating and this is because much food is need to keep them strong .
An adult gorilla can eat up to 18kg to 30kg of vegetation per day.
Mountain gorillas are ground animals who spend their day walking on the ground and as well construct their nests on the ground although they can as well climb trees.
Mountain gorilla population
As of 2024 , there are about 1063 mountain gorilla individuals remaining in the trpical rainforests of Uganda , Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo.
This is the highest number of mountain gorilas ever known since their conservation programmes started.
Mountain gorillas are critically endangered as bongo.
This is the highest number of mountain gorilas ever known since their conservation programmes started.
Mountain gorillas are critically endangered as by a list from international union for conservation of Nature in 1964.
Factors for the slow population growth are poaching, low reproduction rate , habitat destruction and diseases.
Gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking is an activity that requires tourists to move through the dense tropical rainforest in search of mountain gorillas .
Gorilla trekking starts in the morning at 7am because mountain gorillas are very active during this time looking for food and playing .
Tourists will start with a briefing at the park headquarters about trekking rules and regulations and then after organized in groups of 8 people who are led by a park ranger to the forest to trek gorillas .
Gorilla trekking takes about 2 to 6 houra but once gorillas are allocated tourists are allowed to live with them for only 1 hour .
Best time to trek
The best time to trek is durng the dro trek
The best time to trek is durng the dr season in the months of June to September and December to February . This is because the steep slopes are not slippery thus easier climbing.
In a nutshell , mountain gorillas population has tried to increase slightly because of the conservation efforts .
