Western Lowland Gorilla: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Great Apes and Leaf Monkeys · day 7 of 7

Five facts

1. As males age, the hair on their back and rump turns grey. That is why older males are called silverbacks.
2. To fish food out of a hole, it picks a big stick, strips off leaves and bark, then trims it bit by bit until it fits just right.
3. Young gorillas aged three to six spend much of their day playing: climbing trees, chasing each other and swinging from branches.
4. A newborn weighs just 1.8 kg but can cling to its mother's fur. From four months old, it rides on her back.
5. An adult eats around 18 kg of food a day and will climb trees up to 15 m high to find it.

The quiz

1. Why are older male gorillas called silverbacks?

• They sleep on shiny rocks
• The hair on their back turns grey (correct)
• They roll in pale mud
• They are born with white fur

With age, the hair on a male's back and rump turns grey.

2. How does a gorilla make a stick tool to reach food in a hole?

• It glues small twigs together
• It grabs the first twig it finds
• It starts big and trims it to fit (correct)
• It chews it into a point

It begins with one of the biggest sticks and adjusts it until it fits the hole.

3. What do young gorillas aged three to six spend much of their day doing?

• Playing (correct)
• Sleeping alone
• Building nests for adults
• Guarding the group

They play a lot, climbing, chasing and swinging from branches.

4. How much does a newborn western lowland gorilla weigh?

• 100 g
• 20 kg
• 50 kg
• 1.8 kg (correct)

Newborns are tiny, weighing about 1.8 kg.

5. About how much food does an adult eat each day?

• 200 g
• 18 kg (correct)
• 1 kg
• 150 kg

An adult eats around 18 kg of food per day.

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