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Gorillas are the largest of the great apes and one of the most intelligent animals in the world. Two extant species of gorillas exist, both of which are native to Sub-Saharan Africa. The more numerous species, the western gorilla, lives in the tropical forests of Cameroon, the Central-African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo. Meanwhile, the less numerous eastern gorilla lives in the mountains of Rwanda, Uganda, and the DRC, as well as the lowland forests of the DRC. Due to habitat loss and poaching, the IUCN lists both species as critically endangered. Currently, conservationists from around the world are working tirelessly to protect the remaining gorillas living in the wild and in sanctuaries. Gorillas fascinate humans with their human-like traits and behavior. That said, you can know the answer to the question “what do gorillas eat?”
If you want to learn more about the feeding habits of gorillas, you’ve come to the right place. Today we will take an in-depth look at the diet of gorillas, paying special attention to what foods they eat. We will also explore how gorillas forage for food and how their diet differs in the wild from that in captivity. Finally, we’ll explore what baby gorillas eat and see how their diet differs from adult gorillas. So join us as we answer the question “what do gorillas eat”.
What do gorillas like to eat?
Despite their large, muscular physique, gorillas are primarily herbivorous and eat mostly plant matter. Gorillas eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, all of which are locally available in the wild. That said, gorillas will also eat insects, where they get most of their protein needs. While legends exist about man-eating gorillas, these stories are mostly fakes. in contrast to chimpanzees, which occasionally cannibalizes other chimpanzees or eats other animals, gorillas rarely exhibit such behavior. While the diet of gorillas can vary depending on the range, there are similarities in the diet of gorillas regardless of distribution. That’s why we identified 10 foods that most gorillas consume frequently. These foods include:
- To leaf through
- stems
- shoot
- Marrow
- Fruit
- Flowers
- Bark
- Spices
- ants
- termites
- larvae
How do gorillas search for food?
Gorillas have very similar senses to other monkeys and humans. They rely on sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing to help them find food and survive in the wild. Sight and smell are arguably a gorilla’s most important senses when it comes to foraging for food. Their eyes allow them to see in color, which allows them to detect which plants are ripe. In addition, gorillas have binocular vision, which allows them to accurately measure distances and depth. Gorillas also adapted a finely tuned sense of smell, which they use to identify strange or strange smells. Because most gorillas live in dense jungles, they often rely on hearing to detect threats. Rarely is hearing used to find food as most of their diet is plant based. In addition, gorillas rely on their dexterous hands when handling food, such as tearing apart branches or stems.
The range of the average group of gorillas is between 1 and 6 square miles. That said, most gorillas don’t travel more than 2.5 miles during the day in search of food. When not foraging, gorillas rest before moving to another area. Due to their small range, gorillas don’t often compete with each other for food. When available, gorillas will eat both aquatic and terrestrial plants. When encountering a termite or ant colony, gorillas can break open the nest to eat the larvae. Gorillas have strong jaws and teeth adapted for tearing and chewing leaves.
What do gorillas eat in the wild?
A wild gorilla’s diet varies depending on the plants available in its habitat. In addition, the food available depends on the season, so a gorilla’s diet will change throughout the year. Western gorillas eat a diet rich in fiber and mostly seasonal foods. Compared to eastern gorillas, fruit makes up a larger portion of a western gorilla’s diet. When the fruit is in season, western gorillas will spend more time foraging for fruit. Meanwhile, in the dry season, they will eat more leaves, stems, and other low-quality plant matter. On the other hand, eastern gorillas mainly eat foliage as fruit is scarcer in their habitats. Fruit can make up at most 25% of an Eastern gorilla’s diet.
In total, gorillas eat about 200 different types of plants. Their favorite foods are fruits such as berries, bananas, and guavas. In addition, gorillas enjoy pith, a tissue made from the stems of certain flowering plants. That said, stems and leaves of high-quality plants make up the bulk of most gorillas’ diets. Gorillas often travel long distances to eat the tastiest leaves, shoots and seeds. During the lean months, they also eat roots, bark, stems and other low-quality vegetation. When available, gorillas will also eat termites, ants, or larvae. Over the course of a day, it is not uncommon for a gorilla to consume 20 to 40 different types of food.
What do gorillas eat in captivity?
Compared to wild gorillas, captive gorillas eat a diet that is more fruit eaters than herbivorous. An adult gorilla can eat up to 40 pounds of food in one day. A captive gorilla may need to be fed up to six times a day. Fruits such as bananas, berries, gua
va
s and apples are among the most common foods fed to gorillas in captivity. In addition, captive gorillas also have access to a wide variety of foliage. Some zoos will also give gorillas small treats, such as processed grains. That said, these treats are rarely given as they are not part of a gorilla’s natural diet. Due to the difficulty of maintaining ant and termite colonies, captive gorillas rarely have access to insects. However, grubs and grubs can be included as readily available protein sources.
What do baby gorillas eat?
At birth, newborn gorillas weigh only about 4.5 pounds, but they are still very strong. A baby gorilla can cling to its mother’s body and will maintain close contact for years. While young, baby gorillas live almost entirely on their mother’s milk. On average, most gorillas will nurse for about 2.5 to 3 years, at which point they will be off the milk. At that point, they can start eating the same diet as an adult gorilla. That said, some young gorillas will also eat some ants or insects, but only in small amounts.
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