EASTERN LOWLAND GORILLAS

Grauer’s gorilla, also known as the eastern lowland gorilla, is found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The eastern lowland gorilla also known as Grauer’s gorilla is the largest of the four gorilla subspecies. The eastern lowland gorilla occurs in the lowland and Albertine Rift montane forests of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Until the mid-1990s, the population was thought to number around 17,000 individuals. But the latest survey found that numbers had crashed to less than 4,000.

What do they eat?

They eat every part of the plant, including roots, leaves, fruit, stems, flowers, bark, and even fungi (e.g. mushrooms). They will eat smaller ground plants and vines as well as foraging in the trees. This species will sometimes eat insects, but for the most part they are herbivores.

Eastern Gorilla groups

Eastern lowland gorillas are highly sociable and very peaceful, living in groups of two to over 30. A group usually consists of one silverback, several females and their offspring. Silverbacks are strong and each group has one dominant leader (see alpha male). These males protect their group from danger.

Reproduction

Adult female gorillas give birth to one baby about every 4 years although a surviving infant is produced only every 6 to 8 years due to high infant mortality in the first 3 years of life. A baby gorilla is born weighing 1.8 to 2 kilograms (4 to 4.4 pounds) after a gestation period of 251 to 295 days.

How to differentiate eastern lowland gorillas female and male?

Adult male gorillas, or silverbacks, will be close to twice the size of the females, have silver hair on their back, and have large bumps on the top of their heads called sagittal crests. Even with these indicators, it sometimes may be hard to tell young males and adult females apart.