How Many Offsprings Does A Family Gorilla Have?

One of the most frequently asked questions about mountain gorillas is “how many offsprings a female gorilla can have in a lifetime? This might be because of their vulnerable population and slow growth rate. It would interest you to know that these Giant Apes have one of the lowest reproductive rates with a female gorilla taking up to four years before having another baby.

On reaching maturity at the age of 10 years, the female mountain gorilla will give birth to one baby (and on rare occasions have twins) every 3-4 years. However, over 26% of these babies don’t live to see their first year. This can be worsened by the mother gorilla transferring between families or another silverback gorilla taking over the family whereby there are high chances of the baby being killed by the new leader.

The good news however is that this behavior (of a baby gorilla being killed by the new leader of the family) has been to date only observed within the mountain gorillas of Virunga Conservation Area (comprising of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park of Uganda, Virunga National Park of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda).

Owing to the fact that most female mountain gorillas have only a few offsprings who survive until adulthood, the numbers of these Giant Apes have been observed to increase only very slowly. The highest number of surviving offsprings by a female gorilla ever recorded was six. Another outstanding record was broken by a female gorilla who gave birth to eight offsprings, although only two of them survived until adulthood. Therefore in most cases, female gorillas give birth to only 4 offspring, and coupled with the extended interval between babies, the population of these Giant Apes has been observed to grow slowly. Additionally, the fertility rate of free ranging mountain gorillas is said to diminish with age.

The most recent census of mountain gorillas in the wild (2018) placed their numbers at 1063 individuals living in Virunga Conservation Area (Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda) as well as Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. However, this number is said to grow steadily, owing to the combined efforts of Government Authorities (UWA, RDB, and ICCN), surrounding local communities, tourists (gorilla trekkers) and International Conservation Agencies (like the International Gorilla Conservation Programme, World Wildlife Fund, the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund and Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International among others).

When is the perfect time to see the mountain gorillas?

Mountain gorilla sightings in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo typically occur all year round but the best experiences are derived during the dry season- January, February, June, July, August, September, and December. During these months, precipitation levels are lower thus making forest trails less muddy or slippery hence treks less challenging to maneuver through the jungles while searching for the mountain gorillas. The months of March, April, May, October, and November are marked by higher precipitation levels and vegetation overgrowth thus making it more challenging to walk through the jungles as trails become more muddy and slippery.

However, whichever season you choose, the packing list for a gorilla safari should include long-sleeved shirts, lightweight and breathable safari pants of khaki, green, and any neutral color, a rain jacket, a wide-brimmed hat, a waterproof backpack for carrying things needed during the gorilla trek, sturdy hiking boots, gardening gloves, sunglasses, sunscreen, toiletries (such as hand/body lotion, toothbrush, toothpaste, hair comb/brush, and wet wipes), first aid kit and extra cash (for tipping and shopping).