Gorillas do not drink water. This is because they mainly eat soft plants, which contain water and morning dew. This gives them enough moisture through their food. Gorillas spend most of their day feeding.
Mountain gorillas eat up to 142 kinds of plants. About 86% of their diet is made up of shoots, stems, and leaves that grow in their natural habitat.
Fruits make up 2% of their diet, flowers 3%, and roots 7%.
Western lowland gorillas eat up to 97% plant-based food, with 67% being fruits, 17% leaves and seeds, and 3% termites, insects, and ants.
Eastern lowland gorillas eat about 104 kinds of plants, with most of their diet being plant parts. Cross River gorillas mostly eat stems, fruits, leaves, soft inner plant parts, and small insects.
Mountain gorillas have long and strong canines that help them chew tough plants, including bamboo.
They spend much of the day feeding. They start looking for food at 6 a.m., rest around midday, and feed again in the afternoon.
By 6 p.m., they build nests where they sleep until morning.
Gorillas live in high places where it is cold. However, they have long and thick fur that helps them stay warm in this environment.
They are fully herbivorous, meaning they feed only on plants. A male gorilla can eat up to 30 kilograms of plants in a day, while a female can eat up to 18 kilograms.
Gorillas share 98% of their DNA with humans. They are closely related to us, along with chimpanzees and bonobos.
Their thick fur helps them survive the cold climate where they live.
Mountain gorillas are the largest apes in the world. They live in Volcanoes National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, and Virunga National Park in Africa. These parks are the best places to go for gorilla trekking in Africa.
There are just over 1,000 mountain gorillas left in the world.
