Can Gorillas Swim?
Why Gorillas Don’t Swim: Interesting animal behaviour facts.
Can Gorillas Swim? Just like the other primates, including humans, gorillas lack a natural talent for swimming. Thus, gorillas generally avoid crossing large pools of water, which include rivers and lakes. Moreover, unlike some species, humans are better adapted to life in water than gorillas. The common answer to the question “Can gorillas swim?” is “No”, since they cannot perform this activity.
According to the research carried out by the scientist Dian Fossey, who was known for her expertise on gorillas, these primates show a clear dislike for water and rain. According to her findings, when mountain gorillas move across water bodies, they do so without coming into contact with the water. Like many other species of animals, gorillas do not develop any inherent ability to swim. Moreover, swimming would be extremely difficult for gorillas because of their heavy bone system.
Gorillas rarely encounter large amounts of water in their natural habitat, and it seems as if their evolution makes them survive even without knowing how to swim. Apart from the way in which their love for dry land influences their physical structure, the inability to swim is also a consequence of their physiology. Gorillas spend most of their time on dry land hunting, interacting with other apes, and sleeping. Their inability to swim significantly contributes to their avoidance of water.
Do Gorillas Ever Enter the Water?
Gorillas may not be able to swim, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t get into water at all. In some cases, the western lowland gorilla species lives in swamp forests. Therefore, it becomes very difficult for them to stay dry despite avoiding entering the deeper areas of water.
In addition to this, baby gorillas love playing around and splashing in the shallow waters. It always happens during the dry seasons because there won’t be any chances for their babies to drown. When gorillas find the need to cross water areas, they would do so walking upright, provided the water area is not deep. Interestingly, some smart gorillas use twigs to measure the depth of water.
In most cases, crossing is always impossible for them, especially if the water areas are deep or fast-flowing. Gorillas may try crossing, provided they can cross obstacles and avoid getting wet. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have an option but to retreat.
Why Gorillas Cannot Swim
Gorillas cannot swim because they simply do not have any use for it. Their means of survival include finding food in the forests, and there is no need to cross water areas during this activity. Moreover, gorillas get their hydration from eating plants; hence, they do not need to look for water sources in lakes or rivers.
It is evolutionarily useful for the gorilla’s body to be rather heavy and bulky, with plenty of muscles that help gorillas tear off plants. Gorillas have stronger bones compared to humans, making their body structure very powerful.
Despite the fact that gorillas do not often climb trees like other primates, their physiognomy is still designed for that. The animals have very strong arms and shorter legs, which makes it possible to move around quite easily in such conditions.
Can gorillas learn to swim
Swimming is not within the instincts of gorillas. Despite this, it is common to ask whether gorillas can learn to swim. The truth of the matter is that, even though they lack natural swimming abilities, it is quite likely for a gorilla to learn how to swim under suitable conditions.
In their natural setting, mountain gorillas thrive without any form of swimming and are known to avoid water sources. Learning to swim for gorillas in their natural habitat may prove quite risky for the gorilla. With suitable conditions, however, it may be feasible for a gorilla to learn how to swim.
While most people can easily learn how to swim despite lacking the natural talent, gorillas do not possess the necessary instincts for swimming.
Gorillas and Swimming
Similar to all other primates, gorillas cannot swim in their natural habitats. This is the reason why they avoid all sources of water, such as rivers and lakes. But gorillas, regardless of age, enjoy playing with water. In particular, the ones that are kept in zoos have been observed playing with water more frequently than their counterparts in the wild.
When needed, they walk on two legs through water up to their waists while looking for food.
If it rains, the gorillas just stand still and wait until it stops. In case of shelters such as caves nearby, they will stay inside to be sheltered from the raindrops. Though extremely intelligent, they will not seek shelter among trees or big leaves from the rain.
How Do Gorillas Cool Off?
Gorillas have several different ways through which they cool themselves, depending on the species. The eastern lowland gorillas have less hairy body structures. The hairlessness acts to regulate their body temperature within the tropical region in which they thrive. On the other hand, mountain gorillas have thick, long hair, which has the potential to absorb heat when temperatures fall below zero degrees centigrade at night within the Virunga Mountains.
Apart from serving to insulate the gorilla, dark hair plays another role: camouflaging the gorilla by blending with the surroundings of the rainforest.
In general, gorillas do not need much freshwater to survive. They adapt well to varying temperature levels and climate zones. Their diets consist of various foods, making them able to cope with climatic changes and uncertainty.
About gorillas
The gorillas are known as the biggest primates, occupying forests of Africa and sharing 98% of their DNA with humans. The gorillas are intelligent and sociable herbivorous primates which occupy troops with the leadership of the dominant silverback. The mountain gorillas are found in Uganda, Rwandan and the Democratic Republic of Congo territories and are endangered because they depend on dense vegetation and bamboo for their meals.
The gorillas have human-like emotions, as they can be happy through laughing or crying. They feed on about 50 pounds of food per day for male gorillas. These primates do not take water as they get the required water from plants. The gorillas use vines to make a bed for their young ones, using branches and leaves. A newborn gorilla weighs about 4.5 pounds. The gorillas live together in groups, consisting of up to 20 individuals, for many years. The gorillas are quadrupedal animals walking on all four limbs.
