Jack Hanna Films Mountain Gorillas in Africa
Nov. 25, 2005 — -- Jack Hanna and his film crew visited Rwanda in October 2005 to film the majestic mountain gorillas. Hanna writes about his experiences below.
My trip to visit the mountain gorillas was the experience of a lifetime for me.You are used to seeing lowland gorillas in zoos all over the world, but the only place you can see the mountain gorilla is in its natural habitat in either Rwanda or parts of Uganda. Can you imagine sitting within 10 feet of a family of mountain gorillas? It humbles you. This is the third time I've seen the mountain gorillas in their habitat, and each time is better than the last.
Mountain gorillas were discovered in 1902 by Robert von Beringe. There are currently 370 mountain gorillas in Rwanda and around 250 in Uganda. The mountain gorilla is differentiated from the lowland gorillas by size and hair length. The mountain gorilla is bigger than lowland gorillas and they have longer hair because they live at high altitudes -- 6,000 to 8,000 feet above sea level.
Mountain gorillas forage most of the day on the forest floor eating 25 to 30 pounds of vegetation a day. They eat more than 250 types of vegetation -- bamboo, wild celery, stinging metal, and so forth. Mountain gorillas get most of their water from the vegetation they eat. Every night, the gorillas build a nest on the ground to sleep in.
Mountain gorillas travel in family groups typically ranging from 10 to 20 animals. Unlike the image portrayed in King Kong, mountain gorillas are truly gentle giants. They hardly ever show aggression. The dominant male in the group is called a silverback. The silverback remains the leader of the group until a stronger male comes in and takes over.
The number one threat to mountain gorillas is humans. Several years ago poachers would set snares in hopes of catching antelope and other hoofstock, and while gorillas foraged, they would get caught in these snares and eventually die. The guards in the parks have done a tremendous job protecting the gorillas and these deaths have decreased. In fact, under the leadership of President Kagame, Rwanda's mountain gorilla population has increased by 17 percent.
There are several groups of mountain gorillas that tourists can visit. It requires an early morning rise and then a one to three hour trek up the mountains. Once tourists reach the gorillas they are permitted to observe them for up to one hour. It will be the best hour of your life!
For more information on mountain gorillas, you can visit the following Web sites:
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