Mountain gorillas are social animals that live in groups of 5 to 50 members. These groups are usually led by an adult male called a Silverback, along with several adult females and their young ones.
Even though mountain gorillas mostly live in groups, some adult males live alone in the forest. These solitary males may fight with other groups to get females or may join groups where the Silverback has died and no new leader has taken over.
The largest mountain gorilla group ever recorded was found in Rwanda and had 65 members. When the group leader dies, his oldest son usually becomes the new leader.
Female gorillas often leave their birth groups and either join a lone male to form a new group or join an already existing group before they begin to have babies. Once a female gives birth in a group, she usually stays there for the rest of her life.
The dominant Silverback has access to all the females in the group. Other males are not allowed to mate with the females, as this can cause serious fights with the Silverback.
After a pregnancy of about eight and a half months, the female gorilla gives birth and takes very good care of the baby. The baby holds onto the mother’s belly or back and feeds on her milk until it is around 3 to 4 years old.
The mother also weans and grooms the baby. The baby sleeps in the same nest with the mother until it is old enough to make its own nest nearby.
On average, a Silverback leads the group for four to seven years. He is responsible for protecting the group and will fight if the group is attacked.
If a mother gorilla dies and leaves behind a baby, the Silverback will care for it and may even sleep in the same nest with it.
When a Silverback dies without a son in the group, the family may split. The females might join other groups, or a lone Silverback may take over. If the new leader finds young babies from the former Silverback, he may kill them to avoid future competition.
