The
western lowland gorilla (
Gorilla gorilla gorilla) is a subspecies of the
western gorillaThe western gorilla is a great ape and the most populous species of the genus Gorilla.-Taxonomy:Nearly all of the individuals of this taxon belong to the western lowland gorilla subspecies whose population is approximately 95,000 individuals...
(
Gorilla gorilla) that lives in montane, primary, and
secondary forestA secondary forest is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a major disturbance such as fire, insect infestation, timber harvest or windthrow, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident...
s and lowland swamps in
AngolaAngola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
,
CameroonCameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
,
Central African RepublicThe Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
,
CongoThe Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
,
Democratic Republic of the CongoThe Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
,
Equatorial GuineaEquatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea where the capital Malabo is situated.Annobón is the southernmost island of Equatorial Guinea and is situated just south of the equator. Bioko island is the northernmost point of Equatorial Guinea. Between the two islands and to the...
and
GabonGabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
. It is the
gorillaGorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
usually found in
zooA zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
s. Adult male Gorillas are prone to
cardiomyopathyCardiomyopathy, which literally means "heart muscle disease," is the deterioration of the function of the myocardium for any reason. People with cardiomyopathy are often at risk of arrhythmia or sudden cardiac death or both. Cardiomyopathy can often go undetected, making it especially dangerous to...
, a degenerative
heart diseaseHeart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
.
Behavior
Western lowland gorilla groups travel within a home range averaging 3 to 18 miles². Gorillas do not display territorial behavior, and neighboring groups often overlap ranges (Bermejo, 2004, Doran et al., 2004). The group usually favours a certain area within the home range but seems to follow a seasonal pattern depending upon the availability of ripening fruits and, at some sites, localised large open clearings (swamps and "bais"). Gorillas normally travel 0.3–1.8 miles per day. Populations feeding on high-energy foods that vary spatially and seasonally tend to have greater day ranges than those feeding on lower-quality but more consistently available foods. Larger groups travel greater distances in order to obtain sufficient food (Remis, 1997b). Human hunters and leopards can also influence the movement patterns.
Gorillas live in family groupings of one dominant male, five to seven adult females, children and adolescents, and possibly a few non-dominant males. Gorillas reproduce slowly because females do not begin reproducing until the age of nine or ten and usually only produce one baby approximately every five years.
Size
The western lowland gorilla is the smallest subspecies of gorilla. A male standing erect can be 5 – tall and weigh 300–600 lb (136.1–272.2 kg). Females stand 5 feet (1.5 m) tall and weigh half as much as males. According to the late
John AspinallJohn Victor Aspinall was a British zoo owner and gambler. He was born in Delhi, India, but was a citizen of the United Kingdom.-Biography:...
, a silverback gorilla in his prime has the physical strength of 7–8 Olympic weight lifters but this claim is unverified.
Diet
The western lowland gorilla eats plants (including bamboo), and occasionally insects and small reptiles. Males eat up to 9 kg (19.8 lb) a day.
Conservation
In the 1980s, a census taken of the gorilla populations in equatorial
AfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
was thought to be 100,000. Researchers adjusted the figure after years of poaching and deforestation had reduced the population to approximately 50,000.
Surveys conducted by the
Wildlife Conservation SocietyThe Wildlife Conservation Society based at the Bronx Zoo was founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society and currently manages some of wild places around the world, with over 500 field conservation projects in 60 countries, and 200 scientists on staff...
in 2006 and 2007 found more than 100,000 previously unreported gorillas have been living in the swamp forests of
Lake TeleLake Tele is a freshwater lake located in the north-east of the Republic of the Congo. It is located at .Lake Tele has often been mentioned as the home of the Mokèlé-mbèmbé , and is also allegedly the spot where pygmies killed and ate one of the creatures in about 1959...
Community Reserve and in neighboring Marantaceae (dryland) forests in the Republic of the Congo.
With the new discovery, the current population of western lowland gorillas could be around 150,000–200,000. However, gorillas remain vulnerable to
EbolaEbola virus disease is the name for the human disease which may be caused by any of the four known ebolaviruses. These four viruses are: Bundibugyo virus , Ebola virus , Sudan virus , and Taï Forest virus...
,
deforestationDeforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
, and
poachingPoaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...
.
Zoos worldwide have a population of 550 Western Lowland Gorillas and the Cincinnati Zoo leads the United States in Western lowland gorilla births.
Famous western lowland gorillas in captivity
- Babec
Babec was a male silverback Western Lowland Gorilla , the youngest of three sons born to Otto and Benga at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo. Between 1988 and 1992 he sired 8 offspring, 5 of them with Madge of the Cincinnati Zoo...
– On exhibit at the Birmingham ZooThe Birmingham Zoo is a zoological park that opened in 1955 in Birmingham, Alabama . The zoo is home to almost 800 animals representing over 200 species, including many endangered species from six continents....
in Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
(USA) and was the first gorilla to receive an artificial pacemakerA pacemaker is a medical device that uses electrical impulses, delivered by electrodes contacting the heart muscles, to regulate the beating of the heart...
.
- Beta – First ever gorilla to undergo hip replacement (three times: 1995, 2005, 2007). Lived at Brookfield Zoo
The Brookfield Zoo is zoo located in the Chicago suburb of Brookfield, Illinois. The zoo covers an area of and houses around 450 species of animals....
with guenons. Died 2008.
- Binti Jua
Binti Jua is a Western Lowland Gorilla female in the Brookfield Zoo, in Brookfield, Illinois, outside of Chicago.Binti Jua is the niece of Koko, the world famous gorilla that knows and communicates using American Sign Language...
– Saved a three-year-old boy that fell into her habitat in 1996 at Brookfield ZooThe Brookfield Zoo is zoo located in the Chicago suburb of Brookfield, Illinois. The zoo covers an area of and houses around 450 species of animals....
.
- Charles
Charles the Gorilla is a wild-born Western Lowland Gorilla from Gabon West Africa. Although the date of his birth is unknown his approximate date of birth is September 23, 1972. At a time when humans were less vigilant about their treatment of threatened and endangered species, Charles was sought...
– A silverback and resident of the Toronto ZooThe Toronto Zoo is a zoo located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It opened August 15, 1974 as the Metropolitan Toronto Zoo and is owned by the City of Toronto; the word "Metropolitan" was dropped from its name when the cities of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto were amalgamated to form the...
since 1974. Known for his painting abilities.
- Colo
Colo is a Western Gorilla famous for being the first gorilla to be born in captivity anywhere in the world. She is also the oldest gorilla in captivity in the world. She was born at the Columbus Zoo to Millie Christina and Baron Macombo . She was briefly called Cuddles before a contest was held...
– First gorilla to be born in captivity anywhere in the world and currently the oldest gorilla in captivity in the world. She was born at the Columbus ZooThe Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is a non-profit zoo located in Powell, Ohio , just north of Columbus. The land lies along the eastern banks of the O'Shaughnessy Reservoir on the Scioto River, at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Powell Road...
to Millie Christina (mother) and Baron Macombo (father) on December 22, 1956.
- Goma – First gorilla born in a European zoo. Celebrated her 50th birthday on September 23, 2009 at Zoo Basel
Zoo Basel is a non-profit zoo located within the city of Basel, Switzerland. Its official name is Zoologischer Garten Basel — or in English: Basel Zoological Garden. Basel residents, however, call their zoo affectionately Zolli...
.
- Guy the Gorilla
Guy the Gorilla was a Western Lowland Gorilla who was London Zoo's famous resident, something of a celebrity in the 1960s–70s and was often profiled on kids TV shows and natural history productions...
– Large Western Lowland Gorilla that belonged to the London ZooLondon Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. It was eventually opened to the public in 1847...
.
- Jambo – World-famous gorilla born at Zoo Basel
Zoo Basel is a non-profit zoo located within the city of Basel, Switzerland. Its official name is Zoologischer Garten Basel — or in English: Basel Zoological Garden. Basel residents, however, call their zoo affectionately Zolli...
and then transferred to the Jersey Zoo. On August 31, 1986, the five year old Levan Merritt fell into the gorilla enclosure and lost consciousness. Jambo stood guard over the boy when he was unconscious. Jersey Zoo has erected a bronze statue of Jambo. Both a book and a documentary were made.
- Koko
Koko is a female western lowland gorilla who, according to Francine "Penny" Patterson, is able to understand more than 1,000 signs based on American Sign Language, and understand approximately 2,000 words of spoken English....
– Female western lowland gorilla whose trainer taught to use sign language to communicate.
- Massa – This former resident of the Philadelphia Zoo set the longevity record of 54 years at the time of his death in 1984.
- Snowflake – The only albino gorilla known to date. Lived at Barcelona Zoo
Barcelona Zoo is a zoo in the Parc de la Ciutadella in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain...
. Euthanized 2003.
- Tam-tam – First zoo gorilla who grew up in its gorilla group. Born to Goma at Zoo Basel
Zoo Basel is a non-profit zoo located within the city of Basel, Switzerland. Its official name is Zoologischer Garten Basel — or in English: Basel Zoological Garden. Basel residents, however, call their zoo affectionately Zolli...
.
External links