What Do Gorillas Eat?

This is one of the frequently asked questions among intending gorilla trekkers or curious primate lovers. What the largest Great Apes eat largely depends on what their natural habitat offers as well as the month of the year. Presently, there are four renowned gorilla sub-species that include western lowland gorillas, Cross River Gorillas, Mountain gorillas, and Eastern lowland gorillas belonging to two main species.

Found in three countries of East-Central Africa, the Mountain gorillas live in the high mountains ranging from 2500 to 4000 meters above sea level and mainly eat green plant parts. The other three gorilla sub-species occupy lowland areas where they eat lots of fruits. However, the drier months of the year are characterized by fewer succulent fruits thus these primates are forced to consume more seeds as well as tree barks. Given their love for fruits, gorillas of all ages normally climb different fruit trees to pick them up. The natural habitats of western gorillas make it possible for them to eat more fruits than shoots, leaves, piths, and stems although their consumption is remarkably less than that of Chimpanzees and Orangutans.

Between the two gorillas species, western gorillas have broader food range, in that they can eat up to 200 plant species, especially the ones under Arrowroot as well a ginger families. This is contrary to the Eastern gorillas, especially mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable forest and Virunga Conservation Area that mainly eat 38 plant species that include nettles, Gallium, Celery and Thistles. A matured male Eastern lowland gorilla can eat up to 30 kilograms (66lb) of vegetation each day while the adult female has the capability of eating up to 18 kilograms (39lb) of vegetation every day. That’s a lot of food and anyone would wonder how they are able to process such large masses of plant material. Well, these gorillas have powerful chewing muscles. While their teeth are similar to human teeth, adults have longer teeth with more pointed canines.

Mature males (referred as silverbacks) not only use their strong, longer and pointed canines for feeding but also fighting against enemies (in form of competing males, leopards and even poachers) who threaten their families. Besides vegetation, gorillas also eat soil from time to time. This is possibly because soil is composed of minerals that are absent in plants that they consume or because the minerals in soil help in equalizing or betterstil negating the poisonous components in their food.

Gorillas don’t and have never eaten large animals (including humans), although have been observed eating invertebrates especially insects like ants and snails. Additionally, these comprise only about 0.1% of their diet. This is not the case with the Chimpanzees that consume whose diet comprises at least 6% animal matter.

A study by Isra Deblauwe (a Veterinary Doctor and medical Entomologist) in the Cameroonian jungles discovered that gorillas have a higher tendency of insect-eating as well as high prey diversity than that of the chimpanzees in the same geographical range. Also, there are more significant disparities in their nutritional composition of these two Great Apes species in preying on different termite species. For instance, the Gorillas will choose termite species that are rich in iron as well as ash, with chances of anti-diarrheal attributes. Therefore, the behavior or tendency of consuming termites among western lowland gorillas is likely to be a high quality substitute for ingesting soil.

All the four gorilla sub-species consume insects at some point but the various insect species eaten by these Great Apes varies from region to region, as there is likelihood of choice among them. When it comes to feeding schedules, the mountain gorillas are more active throughout the day with breaks during late morning, midday and of course nighttime.

What it takes to see gorillas in the wild

To trek and meet face to face with the gorillas in their natural habitats, travellers have to be 15 years and above, be physically fit and possess a valid gorilla trekking permit. Permits for trekking mountain gorillas in Rwanda cost $1500, $700 in Uganda and $400 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Only 8 visitors are allowed to visit each habituated gorilla family while only four travellers are allowed to trek a gorilla family during Gorilla Habituation in Uganda.