Mountain gorillas are a subspecies of eastern gorillas found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Mountain gorillas live on the mountain slopes of the Virunga Range volcanoes and in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in southwestern Uganda.
Mountain gorillas are close relatives of humans, sharing 98% DNA, and they also have unique nose prints, just like humans have unique thumbprints.
They live in social structures and primarily feed on vegetation.
Mountain gorillas are endangered due to poaching, habitat loss, and diseases.
Any death among mountain gorillas threatens their population because they have low birth rates, although conservation efforts have been put in place and numbers are increasing compared to the 19th century.
When on gorilla trekking safaris in Africa, tourists are highly advised not to provoke gorillas.
How dangerous and aggressive are gorillas to people
Gorillas are not necessarily dangerous animals, but they require very careful handling. Mountain gorillas can become very dangerous when approached with the intent of posing danger or insecurity to them, although they typically send warnings before attacking.
When a mountain gorilla feels threatened, they will send warnings through threatening displays, such as stamping their feet on the ground thunderously, beating their chests, grunting, roaring, hooting, and moving on their hind legs.
If the predator or challenger doesn’t prove they’re not a threat, a gorilla may eventually attack.
When a mountain gorilla attacks, it can be very dangerous. They may attack with vicious bites, thumping, scratching, rib cracking, whipping, and sometimes dragging the perceived threat on the ground.
In some cases, gorillas can even kill humans when they charge, and people are not rescued in time.
Mountain gorillas are most dangerous to themselves, especially when silverbacks are fighting to dominate the group or when a young silverback is trying to take away some group members to form his own family.
They can fight very violently, and injuries can sometimes cause death.
The dominating silverbacks sometimes fight with other male silverbacks when they try to access the females in the group because he is the only one supposed to mate with all the group females without any other male.
In conclusion, gorillas are not inherently dangerous animals but will only attack when their peace is disturbed and after sending several warnings.
They mostly attack poachers and people who have not followed the rules for being in the presence of mountain gorillas.
How to avoid gorilla attacks
To avoid a mountain gorilla attack, once the gorilla starts sending warning signs like beating their chests, you’re advised to act like an ape itself by crouching down, pretending to eat vegetation, tearing vegetation, and making yourself small in front of the great ape.
Mountain gorillas also don’t like cameras with flashlights, so while visiting gorillas, it’s important to be mindful of your flash to avoid making them feel insecure and potentially triggering an attack.
Avoid looking directly into the gorilla’s eyes or showing your teeth when with mountain gorillas.
Tourists visiting gorillas should also make an effort to keep a distance of at least 7 meters from gorillas and never attempt to touch them because they are wild animals.
Gorilla trekking can be done at Bwindi and Mgahinga national parks in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and Virunga National Park in Congo.
