Eastern Gorilla
Eastern Gorilla : The eastern gorilla is a world’s critically endangered species of the ‘genus Gorilla’, one of the best studied and unfortunately, one of the most threatened. Still are the largest living primates on the earth. Apparently, these species are subdivided into two subspecies that is eastern lowland gorillas or Grauer’s gorillas making more than 3,800 individuals. Currently, the mountain gorillas estimate about 1,064 individuals, they are slowly growing in number due to illegal hunting that takes place in their nature environment has the report says by the ‘IUCN’ International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Therefore, two subspecies of eastern gorillas have been recognized that is the mountain gorillas ‘Gorilla berengei beringei’ of the volcanic slopes of Uganda, Rwanda and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the eastern lowland gorillas ‘Gorilla berengei graueri’ are found in the eastern Democratic Republic of Cong while on Congo Safaris.
The eastern gorillas; both mountain gorillas and eastern lowland gorillas recently were thought to be two of the three subspecies of one single species, in category of ‘Gorilla gorilla’. Although, genetic research shows that the two eastern subspecies are far more similar than the western subspecies, the western lowland gorillas which separates the classification. More so, the two eastern substance are now classified as Gorilla beringei.
Physical description of Eastern Gorillas-Mountain Gorillas
They have a large hominid with a large head, long arms and broad chest.
The eastern gorilla has a flat nose with large nostrils and its face, hands, feet and breast are bald.
Their fur looks black but for the adult males have a silvery saddle on their back, when they grow older, the hair on the saddle of the back becomes white, much similar like the gray hair of elderly people. It’s the reason as to why the older males are called silverbacks.
Mountain gorilla has a more bluish color and are slightly smaller and lighter than ‘Grauer’s gorillas.
Male mountain gorillas are much larger than females; adult grown male eastern gorillas typically weighs 140 -250 kilograms and stands 1.7meter upright and a female typically weights 90-100 kilograms stands 1.5meter tall.
Habitat and Ecology of the Eastern Gorillas –Mountain gorillas
Mountain gorillas are endangered species of the mountain rain forest and subalpine forest of southwestern Uganda, Rwanda and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Grauer’s gorillas occur across the forest of the Albertine Rift in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The eastern gorillas are herbivorous with a heavily foliage basing on their diet, this happens due to lack of availability of fruits in their habitat.
Eastern gorillas –mountain gorillas feed on diet of leaves, shoots and stems comprising of about 85% of their diet, also feed on fruits, flowers, bark, roots and plant species and occasionally eat small invertebrates
They have smaller home ranges than western gorillas as foliage with more fruits.
In the late evening, they build their nests by folding over vegetation.
Behaviors –Eastern Gorillas /Mountain gorillas
Eastern gorillas live in a family or group led by a dominant silverback male.
They also tend to have large group sizes than their close related western relatives, the group can be numbered up to 35 individuals.
Female eastern gorillas give birth every after 3 to 4 years, due to the long period of parental care and a gestation period which is almost similar of man ‘’8.5’’months.
The eastern gorillas; the newborn gorillas have greyish –pink skin and can crawl after 9 weeks. They are not stopped from feeding till 3.5 years.
Male gorillas are good in protecting their females and offspring using their large size in intimidating displays that involves in charging and chest-beating.
Conservation status –Eastern gorilla’s -Mountain gorillas
Historically, in 1990 the eastern gorillas were greatly in number but between 1996 and 2016 the number of gorillas lost more than 70 percent of its population. Then by September 2016 its population continued to lower due to threats that had happened in their nature inhabits such as poaching, destruction for agricultural purposes, habitat fragmentation caused by transportation corridors as well as diseases. By 2016 the total population was numbered to be less than 6,000. But the IUCN has put in much effort to fight against those threat that occurs to eastern gorillas inhabits. Recently, the report was issued out that the eastern gorillas estimates about 1064 mountain gorillas and their numbers continue to grow.
In national parks were mountain gorillas are watched, as acted as a popular tourist’s attraction to the world such national parks include Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National park in Rwanda, Virunga National park. The ecotourism can benefit gorilla populations by generating revenue for conservation efforts, through supporting the local people around, building the schools, constructing roads.
Eastern –mountain gorillas can be encountered in three countries of Uganda, Rwanda and Congo and a traveler to access their nature inhabits, you need to purchase a gorilla permit to engage in trekking mountain gorillas. Note, each destination offers different rate of the permits; The gorillas permits in Rwanda costs USD1,500, In Uganda USD 700 and USD400 in Congo per group per person. Gorilla trekking experience is grouped in a group of eight individuals who are allowed to trek a given family of mountain gorillas on that particular day and you must be a maximum of 15 years old. We recommend you to book a gorilla permit in advance more especially during the peak season, that starts June to September and December to February.
