Eastern lowland gorilla

Lore & Background

Eastern lowland gorillas are highly sociable and peaceful, living in groups of two to over 30, typically led by a dominant silverback. Groups often include multiple females and their offspring, and about one third of groups in East Africa contain two grown males. Females and males usually leave their natal group upon maturity; females join another group or a lone silverback, while males may stay together temporarily until they attract females. The species has the widest altitudinal range of any gorilla subspecies, inhabiting mountainous, transitional, and lowland tropical forests. Their diet is varied, consisting of fruits, leaves, stems, bark, and small insects like ants and termites, though insects form only a minor part. They show a preference for regenerating vegetation associated with abandoned villages and fields.

Reader's Guide

The eastern lowland gorilla is significant as the largest living primate and a keystone species in the forests of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its population has faced severe decline due to poaching for bushmeat, civil unrest, and habitat destruction from logging, mining, and agriculture. The civil war in the region has led to increased poaching by militia and refugees, and has hampered conservation efforts by disarming park guards. Conservation groups have negotiated with rebels to re-arm park guards, and international organizations have funded protection. The species' slow reproduction rate—females give birth to a single infant after about 8.5 months gestation and breastfeed for three years—makes recovery challenging. Its legacy lies in the ongoing struggle to balance human conflict and resource extraction with the survival of one of humanity's closest relatives.

Did You Know?

• Only one female eastern lowland gorilla lives in captivity outside its native range, at Antwerp Zoo in Belgium.
• Gorillas do not eat banana fruits but may destroy banana trees to eat the nutritious pith.