Mountain Gorilla Defence Mechanisms and Predators
How mountain gorillas protect themselves: Defence Strategies & Predators.
Mountain Gorilla Defence Mechanisms and Predators: A defence mechanism can be defined as an involuntary psychological reaction that helps to reduce the anxiety that comes about due to excessive or harmful stimulation. Despite their aggressive appearances and sturdy builds, mountain gorillas are still susceptible to outside dangers and predators. To enhance their chances of survival, mountain gorillas have evolved various defensive measures.
Leopards and humans are the primary predators of mountain gorillas. Leopards are known to attack and kill mountain gorillas, but these attacks are rare since gorillas are social animals that live together in family units. Leopards are excellent climbers, so they use their agility to ambush mountain gorillas at night when the gorillas are least prepared for the danger.
Human beings are the most significant predators of mountain gorillas. Humans hunt gorillas using methods like setting traps or shooting them. In other places, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, hunting mountain gorillas for meat is common. These outside dangers have forced mountain gorillas to evolve different defence mechanisms. Such defences include increased vigilance, having tight social bonds among members to provide mutual protection, and behavioural changes to avoid danger.
Defence Strategies of Mountain Gorillas
Chest-Beating
When mountain gorillas feel any form of threat or when the situation around them seems dangerous to them, then the first thing they do is to beat their chest and stamp their feet, followed by very noisy hooting and screaming. In essence, such an action works on two levels. First, it serves to warn the possible predator or threat, thereby scaring them away because it is a sign of aggression and intimidation. The second reason behind this act is that it helps the rest of the troop be aware that there is some sort of danger, which means that they need to look for shelter. It is the job of the silverback to defend the troops and protect them from any threats or dangers. Sometimes, he would face the intruder or attacker aggressively, even if it led to his death.
Standing up straight and tall to intimidate.
The next interesting defence tactic used by mountain gorillas is standing up straight and tall to intimidate others. This may make them less likely to face attacks by predators because the appearance of strength and fearlessness may scare off some enemies.
Their hands are very strong.
The mountain gorillas possess strong hands that play a significant role in the defence of these apes against predators like leopards. The strength in their hands is especially necessary for moving around forests and handling huge objects. Another important feature about mountain gorillas is their big size, which itself is a great source of protection. The dominant gorillas, called silverbacks, weigh even more than females and are bigger than most animals, including humans and leopards.
Showing and exposing Their Sharpened Canines
The mountain gorillas exhibit aggression by showing off their sharpened canines when they feel threatened. The showing-off is meant to intimidate any predator or opponent that may come close to harming the family group. With their sharpened canines, the mountain gorillas are capable of inflicting injuries or even killing an opponent through bites.
Fostering a strong bond with silverbacks
Just like fathers do in human society, the dominant silverbacks in gorilla families protect their groups. Females and infants usually bond strongly with the dominant silverbacks within the family group. Such strong social relationships are essential for protecting the group from any harm.
Mountain gorillas move in a group
Mountain gorillas are always on the move, and they usually congregate to form troops to help them remain safe. Social structure is very important when it comes to survival because the lives and movements of the gorillas are interconnected. The phrase “United we stand, divided we fall” is very applicable in the case of mountain gorillas. When the silverback and other members of the group come together, it becomes easier for them to fight any threat from outside. On the contrary, a single silverback is at risk because it can be easily attacked by any enemy.
According to the current data, the endangered population of mountain gorillas is about 1,063 gorillas. Mountain gorilla trekking is carried out in three countries, namely Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Uganda, tourists have an opportunity to embark on a gorilla trek in two places: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The total number of groups is 21. Rwanda tourists get to see gorillas in Volcanoes National Park. As for tourists from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the place is Virunga National Park.
Predators of Mountain Gorillas
On meeting mountain gorillas in their native forest areas, one may think that the apes, because of their huge size, have no predators. In fact, despite being intelligent and highly social beings, the mountain gorillas can also be victimised by some natural predators in their native surroundings. In spite of being peaceful and emotionally attached, there are some dangers for the apes that put their existence at stake. While these apes are peaceful beings, their small number is due to their low reproductive capacity. The following are some of the predators of mountain gorillas.
Crocodiles
Crocodiles are some of the animals that prey on mountain gorillas. These animals lie in wait near bodies of water and watch for any chances to pounce, particularly when the mountain gorillas go there to get water to drink, although strangely, the mountain gorillas do not drink water very much in the open. Occasionally, crocodiles may be seen lying in wait in swamps, anticipating the opportunity to prey on mountain gorillas.
However, there is much hope for the survival of mountain gorillas since these primates know how to defend themselves against any kind of attack from any other animal. Whenever the mountain gorillas sense the presence of an attacking animal, such as a crocodile, they warn each other. This is done as they gather around the dominant member of the group, called the silverback.
Humans
On the other hand, humans are now recognised as a major threat to gorillas owing to many actions that they take. Inconsistent invasion into gorilla territories for activities such as farming, hunting, or poaching and other conflicts have caused environmental degradation and fragmentation, jeopardising their existence.
Furthermore, humans are also dangerous to mountain gorillas in terms of health, as they may pass on some infections to the apes. As mentioned before, gorillas have at least 98 per cent similar DNA to humans. Therefore, they can easily be affected by human ailments, thus having catastrophic consequences. The climate crisis, resulting from human activities, has worsened threats to mountain gorilla environments, causing habitat loss and food scarcity for these rare species.
Leopard
The leopard is one of the major predators of the mountain gorilla in its natural environment. Being an intelligent animal with great agility, the leopard is a carnivore that can prey on fully grown mountain gorillas. The leopard’s exceptional climbing ability poses an additional threat to the mountain gorillas, which makes escaping from an encounter nearly impossible, even when the mountain gorillas climb up the trees.
In most cases, the leopard prefers to prey on young mountain gorillas and not the grown-up silverback males. But there are some parts where the leopard hunts mature mountain gorillas.
What is the cost of mountain gorilla trekking permits in Africa?
Gorilla trekking in mountain areas involves all visitors providing their own gorilla permit, and the charges differ from one country to another. If you plan to trek gorillas in Uganda, the charge for one gorilla permit is about $800. Meanwhile, the price for one gorilla permit in Rwanda is estimated at $1,500, while the cost of the same permit in the Democratic Republic of Congo is estimated at $450. The age limit for participation starts from 15 years old.
