Immortalized in films...entrusted to breeding programs in zoos to boost their numbers..enshrined in silver coins in the Congo.
Majestic.
Mountain Trek
https://youtu.be/QyCAVHRiUKs
They are gentle giants. The largest on record 6'5" tall. They live in structured family units called Troops and are primarily plant eaters. Docile and shy they prefer to hide away than confrontation...but have the strength of 20 men. The larger males can weigh nearly 500 pounds.
Muhammad Ali once offered a zookeeper an enormous sum of money to let him "fight" one...lucky for him the keeper refused...as he would have been torn limb from limb.
Silverbacks are the oldest and leader of the troop...the mid-aged males are known as brown-backs and are roughly 13 years old....12 and younger have black coats and are known at that time as black-backs...suggesting their infancy and youth.
...okay...I'm not old...I'm a Silverback...
Gorillas can feel and display a wide variety of emotions from laughter and happiness to grief and anger. They can make and use tools and are highly intelligent problem solvers.
In DNA sequencing Gorillas are more closely related to humans 30% match than chimpanzees ( 15%).
Silverback
https://youtu.be/VAvPDUatiKo
One of the best films on the subject
Gorillas in the Mist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4w6dBwZkqM
Next we will explore the Coastal African country of Gabon.
Until then...
