Fun Facts About Gorillas
One of the things that Amahoro Tours is well-known for is the passion and excitement that we have surrounding gorillas. They are the animal that we primarily focus on during a majority of our tours, and we love being able to show people just how magnificent these animals are. When you have the chance to enjoy a gorilla tour with Amahoro Tours, you’ll get to experience these incredible animals first hand but, since you’re not on a safari right now, we figured we would touch on a few of the fun and interesting facts about gorillas.
They Live Long Lives
Very rarely will you find an animal that has a similar lifespan to that of the human. While gorillas haven’t made it to their 100s quite yet, they do have an impressive lifespan! When living in captivity, gorillas can (and have) lived to surpass the age of 50. The oldest living gorilla to date was named Colo. She lived to be 61, and just recently passed at the Columbus Zoo in 2017.
Extraordinarily Strong
Though gorillas have a longer lifespan (similar to humans), they are so much stronger than the average man. In fact, it’s pretty difficult to really determine just how strong a gorilla is. The estimated strength of a gorilla is only an estimate, and it covers a pretty large range. On average, a gorilla is roughly four to 10 times stronger than the average man. That’s pretty incredible!
Learn Sign Language
Gorillas are incredibly smart, but one of the skills that we continue to be amazed by is their ability to pick up sign language. These animals are known for using hand gestures to communicate with one another and with humans, but the fact that they can grasp the meaning behind the signs is absolutely incredible. A gorilla named Koko is well known for communicating closely and often with humans through sign language.
On the Shy Side
While gorillas are capable of communicating with humans, they’re actually very shy animals. These animals would actually rather spend their time peacefully. In most cases, when there is conflict inflicted between a couple of gorillas or even a gorilla and another animal, it’s more likely that the gorilla will avoid confrontation and try to keep the peace. This can be very surprising considering the image drawn in Western culture.
They’re Mostly Vegetarians
Believe it or not, gorillas stick to a primarily vegetarian diet. As we mentioned above, these animals are peaceful and, truth be told, gentle. It’s simply not in their nature to kill, even if it is for food. That being said, while most gorillas do stick to a diet loaded with greens, the Western lowland gorillas are known for consuming insects like ants or termites every once in a while.
Take a Gorilla Tour
Amahoro Tours is happy to provide people with the chance to see these incredible animals up close. Now that you have seen just a glimmer of what makes these animals so amazing, it’s time to visit them for yourself. Browse the selection of gorilla tours that we offer here at Amahoro Tours and take some time to explore this corner of the world. We can’t wait to have you!