What do gorillas eat?

Gorillas, which have strong and large bodies, may be thought to eat meat like lions and tigers. However, gorillas actually have a plant-based diet.

Gorillas are quite health-conscious creatures. They eat fruits, plants, and insects such as ants.

Depending on where they live, they eat more fruit or more plant leaves.

Although they sometimes kill other animals to protect their territory, they rarely eat the meat.

How are gorillas born?

Gorillas are born almost the same size as their parents, just like human babies. They weigh 1,800g at birth.

Human babies weigh about 2,500-3,000g at birth, so human babies are heavier at birth.

What is the meaning of a gorilla hitting his chest?

Speaking of gorillas, that figure that hits the chest is impressive, isn't it? That chest-pounding act is called “drumming,” and it used to be considered a declaration of war, provocation, or intimidation, but now it’s said to be a little different.

Gorillas are quite sensitive to stress and are gentle and kind except during the child-rearing period.

Drumming is said to be an action taken to assert oneself or to keep a distance from fighting. Did you know that when you hit your chest, you open your hand instead of clenching your fist? It seems that the reason for hitting with your hands open is to make the sound louder.

However, there are many things that are not understood about this drumming, and if research continues in the future, more new things may be discovered.

How strong is a gorilla's grip?

It is difficult to measure this officially, but it is estimated from the gorilla’s lifestyle, weight, and physique that it is about 400-500 kg.

How amazing is this… I don’t really understand it well.

The average grip strength of Japanese men is said to be 80-90 kg and that of women is 28-29 kg. Even sumo wrestlers are only around 100-120 kg. Do you understand how amazing gorilla’s grip strength is?

Like other monkeys, gorillas live on trees and eat while supporting their own weight of over 100 kg by holding a branch of a tree with one hand. If you think so, you may not be able to live without this grip strength.

If you ever encounter a gorilla in a place without a fence, I strongly recommend that you run away before being crushed by its incredible grip strength.

Do gorillas run fast?

Although you may not have an image of gorillas running, they are actually very fast.

They can run at speeds of up to 40 km/h (25 mph) and use their hands as well as their legs to run, rather than just two legs like humans.

The fastest person in the world is Usain Bolt, who has already retired. He ran at a speed of 45 km/h (28 mph).

If Usain Bolt were chased by a gorilla, he might be able to escape, but you probably wouldn’t be able to escape after reading this article.

How long do gorillas live?

The average lifespan is about 40-50 years.

In places with well-maintained environments such as zoos, they often live up to 53 years old, and as medical technology advances, their lifespan is also increasing.

Is it true that gorillas are an endangered species?

This is true. Gorillas give birth in forests and other places, but their habitats have been reduced due to civil wars and land development, and their numbers have decreased as a result. They are now designated as an endangered species.

In the 1990s, there were about 17,000 gorillas, but now there are only about 4,000.

In order to protect the gorillas from extinction, national civil servants called “gorilla rangers” in a country called Rwanda monitor their health and protect them from poachers who target gorillas.

Although the number of gorillas has recovered slightly, they are still classified as endangered species.

Is it true that gorillas were originally unidentified creatures?

This is actually true. UMA refers to animals and organisms that have not been officially confirmed or discovered, such as Nessie and Tsuchinoko.

Nowadays, when people hear the word “gorilla,” they can easily imagine what it looks like and it is an animal that can be seen almost without fail when visiting a zoo. However, in the past, it was considered a UMA.

The indigenous people who lived in the area knew that there was a giant, hairy monkey-like human being, but the existence of such a creature was denied because it was thought to be impossible.

The gorilla’s habitat was discovered late in the depths of the forest.

In the 19th century, the mountain gorilla, which is about 2 meters tall and one of the largest gorillas, was finally officially recognized in the early 20th century.

In a few years, creatures like Tsuchinoko and Nessie that are now called UMAs may be seen at zoos.