Are Gorillas Friendly? Friendship between Gorillas and Humans Gorillas are referred to as friendly and non-aggressive animals, although they are muscular and rich in strength.
Humans can go gorilla trekking freely without fear of harm, but they must respect the gorillas since they are wild animals.
In many cases, gorillas are actually trained to create a closer bond and friendship with humans, and this requires game rangers and researchers to go through a process to make them used to humans more closely.
Additionally, gorillas are indeed very intelligent creatures, which sets them apart from other animals in the wild.
However, it should be considered that gorillas are wild animals and should be treated with respect, although they are not aggressive towards people.
A gorilla is very strong and cannot be predicted if one disrespects them.
Gorillas can show signs of unhappiness, such as chest beating or ground thumping. It is advisable to follow the guidelines and instructions put in place by game rangers when going gorilla trekking.
Guidelines and Instructions
- Maintain silence or speak slowly when trekking to avoid disturbing the peace of Gorillas.
- Avoid getting closer to the gorillas and maintain a distance of about 7 meters.
- Avoid direct eye contact with the gorillas as it may make them uncomfortable.
- Do not use flashlight cameras as gorillas dislike it and may react aggressively.
A Brief about Gorillas
Gorillas are predominantly ground-dwelling, majestic, herbivorous apes that occupy the tropical forests in equatorial Africa. Learn more about mountain gorilla habitat.
The Gorilla genus is subdivided into two, namely the Eastern and Western gorilla, with approximately 4-5 subspecies.
The Eastern gorilla is identified by its darker fur color and some other minor morphological variations, which make them easily distinguished from Western gorillas.
They are the largest living primates, with an average height of 1.25-1.8 meters and weighing over 100-270 kg, with an arm span of 2.6 meters, each entirely dependent on the species and sex.
Gorillas live in troops led by a dominant silverback. Gorillas always inhabit the tropical or subtropical forests in sub-Saharan Africa and live for about 35-40 years.
Scientific Classification of Gorillas:
- Domain: Eukaryota
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Primates
- Suborder: Haplorhini
- Infraorder: Simiformes
- Family: Hominidae
- Subfamily: Homininae
- Tribe: Gorillini
- Genus: Gorilla
In conclusion, gorillas are fascinating and intelligent creatures, friendly and non-aggressive animals that are definitely worth learning about.
