Two of the well-known species of gorillas are the eastern gorilla and western gorilla.The mountain gorilla is an eastern gorilla, while the cross river gorilla is a western gorilla. The significant difference between these gorillas is that the mountain gorilla is larger as these primates have long hair and short arms in comparison to their western gorilla cousins.Mountain gorillas live in forests at high elevations of 8,000- 13,000 ft (2438-3962 m) deep in the mountains. With the largest size among all gorillas, mountain gorillas are mostly found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. The remainder are found in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park located in Uganda.Rwanda is one of the hiking destinations known for gorilla trekking. Gorilla trekking in Uganda is relatively hard compared to Rwanda as the forests of Uganda are thick, which could be challenging. Tour groups also visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to see mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. These African primates are an endangered species that requires conservation.A male silverback gorilla survives up to 35-40 years in the wild.Read the article to find out answers to questions like how long do gorillas live and more about gorilla species in Mt. Tshiaberimu Volcanoes National Park. After reading about the lifespan of a mountain gorilla, do check eastern lowland gorilla facts and how long do grasshoppers live?What is the longest a gorilla has lived?Average wild gorillas live around 35-40 years, although, in captivity, their lifespan can be up to 50 years or even more.The longest a gorilla has ever lived in captivity is 64 years old Fatou. Fatou belongs to the western subspecies; she is a western lowland gorilla. Western is the smallest subspecies of gorillas; these animals are naturally found in Angola marshes and among the wildlife of the Republic of Congo.Fatou is currently living at the Berlin Zoo in Germany; she was born in 1957 in west Africa and was brought to France as an infant in 1959 by sailors. Her 64th birthday was celebrated on April 13, 2021. However, the most famous old gorilla was Colo. Colo was the first gorilla to be born in a zoo or in captivity; she is also renowned as the oldest gorilla in the world as her date of birth was confirmed. In contrast, Fatou and the 64-year-old western lowland Turdy are only speculated to have been born in 1957. Turdy died in July 2019 in Little Rock, Arkansas, in the United States.On December 22, 1956, Colo was born in the Columbus Zoo in Ohio, United States; her name was declared to be Colo based on her place of birth. Colo died at the age of 60 on January 17, 2017, at the Columbus Zoo.All species of gorillas are native to the African continent. Male western lowlands weigh up to 300-500 lb (136-226.7 kg).How long do western lowland gorillas live?The lifespan of an average gorilla in the wild is expected to be 35 years; in captivity, they live up to 50 years, with the oldest living gorilla being 64 years of age named Fatou. Fatou is a female gorilla.Gorillas are known to be the largest of the great apes to be alive. Eastern lowland gorillas are the largest primates overall. Gorillas can grow as tall as 6 ft (1.82 m) while standing up and weighing up to 500 lb (226.7 kg). However, the largest monkey is the mandrill. Mandrills belong to the Old World monkeys and can grow up to 3 ft (0.9 m) in length.The eastern gorilla and the western gorilla are two species of gorillas. The eastern gorilla contains the subspecies of mountain gorillas and eastern lowland gorillas, and the western gorillas include the western lowland gorilla and the cross-river gorilla. Among the gorillas, the subspecies of the western lowland gorillas are the smallest in size. Male western lowlands can grow larger than females.The western lowland gorillas are Critically Endangered; they are endemic to the Republic of Congo; however, due to human poaching and deforestation leading to the loss of their natural habitat, these wild animals are mostly extinct in the country.Conservation is needed for these forest animals. These animals are distributed widely over the Congo basin and in other countries like Central Africa, Gabon, Angola, Cameroon, and Guinea. They can also be found in national parks such as the Ogooué-Leketi National Park located in the Republic of Congo.How long do gorillas live on average in the wild?Gorillas are found in high-altitude mountains and bamboo forests. They are divided into two groups. Members of the gorilla family are the eastern gorilla and western gorilla, and both are considered Endangered species.Gorillas in zoos are expected to live more than 50 years, compared to the average of 35 years for gorillas in the wild. However, old mountain gorillas have trouble feeding because of their loss of teeth due to periodontitis. Gorilla groups also suffer from arthritis which damages the bones of their hands and feet.According to the Conservation Biology Institute, the average lifespan of a gorilla in the wild is between 30-40 years. If kept in captivity, gorillas live longer as they are at zero threats from predators. Another reason could be that members of this species have plenty of access to food.In captivity, a mountain Gorilla is said to have an average lifespan of 53 years, according to the World Animal Foundation.How long do female gorillas live?The male silverback and female gorillas have many dissimilarities in their bodies.The males can grow twice the size and are twice as strong. The males have silver hair on their back and are called silverbacks; with a significant bump in their skull, their heads have a dome, an appearance called the sagittal crest. Females are much smaller and lack such features.However, it is difficult to tell males and females apart as young gorillas as, till the age of eight, they have very similar bodies and sizes. An immature male gorilla looks similar to a fully matured female. Aside from their size, females lack any other distinct signs of age. Despite their varying body sizes, female gorillas have the same lifespan as male gorillas and can live more than 35 -40 years on average.Gorillas have a well-defined social structure, and they live in troops, with the male silverback gorilla being their leader. The silverback mates with multiple females in the group, and females can replace the silverback in their group if the current silverback is not good enough. The number of gorillas in a group can vary from 10-30 gorillas depending upon the species.As female gorillas develop maturity at eight years old, they start birthing babies by the age of 10 and can birth a baby once in four years, giving birth to one gorilla at a time; the infant gorilla is highly dependent on its mother.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for ‘How long do gorillas live? 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Two of the well-known species of gorillas are the eastern gorilla and western gorilla.
