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| 1377 - A mountain gorilla in Volcanoes National Park |
Posted on 26.12.2014, and 03.05.2015
Volcanoes National Park lies in northwestern Rwanda and borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. It is home to five of the eight volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains (Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo), which are covered in rainforest and bamboo, and a haven for the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei), one of the two subspecies of the eastern gorilla, the largest living primate. The vegetation is very dense at the bottom of the mountains, becoming more sparse at higher elevations, and the forests where the mountain gorilla lives are often cloudy, misty and cold. Despite their recent population growth (the overall population is now believed to be at least 880 individuals), the mountain gorilla remains threatened. As of 2008, they were listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and are dependent on conservation efforts to survive.
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| 1563 - A cub of mountain gorilla |
The mountain gorilla is primarily terrestrial, quadrupedal, and herbivore, but it will climb into fruiting trees if the branches can carry its weight, and it is capable of running bipedally up to 6m. Like all great apes other than humans, its arms are longer than its legs. Males, at a mean weight of 195kg and upright standing height of 150cm usually weigh twice as much as the females. Gorillas can be identified by nose prints unique to each individual. Adult males are called silverbacks because a saddle of gray or silver-colored hair develops on their backs with age. It is highly social, and lives in relatively stable, cohesive groups held together by long-term bonds between adult males and females. Relationships among females are relatively weak. These groups are nonterritorial; the silverback generally defends his group rather than his territory.
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