Western lowland Gorillas

Gorilla gorilla gorilla

Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Nigeria – lowland forest and swamp

IUCN status Critically endangered

Habitat Angola, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Nigeria – lowland forest and swamp

Diet Herbivore – leaves, herbs, fruit, flowers, seeds, some insects

There are probably less than 100,000 gorillas in the wild and their numbers are declining rapidly due to the Ebola virus, natural predators, hunting for bushmeat and deforestation. They live in small family groups of one dominant male, several females, infants and juveniles, adolescents and sometimes a few non-dominant males. They spend their day
eating, resting and playing.

Did you know?
The dominant or alpha male gorilla in a group is known as a ‘silverback’ after the silvery grey hair on his back.