Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) lives in tropical lowland rainforest across West and Central Africa. Its conservation status is Critically Endangered.
Fascinating facts about the Western Lowland Gorilla
- Western lowland gorillas are the only gorilla subspecies that are regularly exhibited in zoological collections around the world. The only other captive individuals are a single eastern lowland female named Amahoro at Antwerp Zoo and a handful of mountain gorillas kept in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This limited representation means that visitors most often see western lowland gorillas when they encounter great apes in a zoo setting.
- In the wild, adult male western lowland gorillas typically weigh around 140 kg, while females average about 70 kg, and a standing male can reach up to 1.83 m in height. When housed in captivity, males can grow considerably larger, with documented individuals attaining a mass of 275 kg, far above the usual wild maximum of 227 kg.
- Snowflake, the only known albino gorilla, was a wild-born western lowland individual originating from Equatorial Guinea before being transferred to Barcelona Zoo as a youngster in 1966. He displayed the classic features of albinism seen in humans, including completely white hair, pinkish skin, light-coloured eyes, reduced visual perception and a strong sensitivity to bright light.
- In 2009 a western lowland gorilla at Buffalo Zoological Gardens used a bucket to collect water, providing the first documented case of a gorilla spontaneously employing a drinking tool in a zoo. This behaviour builds on earlier observations of gorillas using sticks to gauge water depth, showing they can select and modify objects for specific tasks. Such tool use demonstrates a level of sensorimotor planning comparable to that of young human children.
- Western lowland gorillas habitually knuckle-walk, moving on their curled hands with the knuckles touching the ground, which causes their arm span to exceed their standing height. Although they can stand upright, males reach about 1.67 m and females about 1.5 m when erect, so the extended arms give them a broader reach than their height alone would suggest. This locomotor style is a distinctive physical trait among great apes.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
At a glance
RangeWest and Central Africa
HabitatTropical lowland rainforest
DietLeaves and fruits
About the Western Lowland Gorilla
In the mist-shrouded heart of the African jungle, the Western Lowland Gorilla moves with a deliberate, unhurried pace, its broad chest and powerful limbs a testament to its unyielding presence. As it navigates the dense undergrowth, the gorilla's intelligent eyes seem to drink in every detail of its surroundings, from the tender shoots of new growth to the ancient, gnarled tree trunks that stretch towards the canopy above. With each gentle gesture, the gorilla embodies a deep and abiding connection to its fragile, fading world, a world that hangs precariously in the balance.
Hear the Western Lowland Gorilla, and 4,400+ more
Real recorded sounds, 11 nature games and a free Daily 5, 1v1 quiz duels, conservation wins and a safe Kids mode. Free on Feravox.
_eyes.jpg?width=1280)