Humans are considered to be very intelligent! However in the apes world, the gorillas are highly considered to be intelligent creatures as well. Today scientists believe that if the gorillas are taught like humans, they can be very intelligent just like humans! A few individuals within captivity have been taught a subset of sign language that they clearly understand. In their natural world, one can wonder about the intelligence of these great apes and how they live within the wild. Like the other great apes, gorillas can laugh, grieve, and also have rich emotional lives, develop strong family bonds, make and use tools, and think about the past, present and future.
The gorillas in the wild are governed by laws; with the silverback gorilla being the head of the gorilla family. If you get to chance to visit the mountain gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda or Congo, and get to see and the wild gorillas in their natural habitat, you will leave the wild wondering how amazing the gorillas can be. Those who have taken gorilla treks into the impenetrable forests of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and the Virunga National Park in Congo can testify this!
On my gorilla safari adventure within Bwindi Forest last year, i got to see the mountain gorillas face to face in their natural wild. What i learnt about the gorillas is something that i cant easily relate on paper.
These creatures construct nests for daytime and night use. Nests tend to be simple aggregations of branches and leaves about 2 to 5 ft and are constructed by individuals themselves. Gorillas, unlike chimpanzees or orangutans, tend to sleep in nests on the ground. The young nest with their mothers, but construct nests after three years of age, initially close to those of their mothers. Gorilla nests are distributed arbitrarily and use of tree species for site and construction appears to be opportunistic. Nest-building by great apes is no longer considered to be animal architecture, but also an important instance of using tools.
Some researchers believe gorillas have spiritual feelings or religious sentiments. They have been shown to have cultures in different areas revolving around different methods of food preparation, and will show individual color preferences.
Check out the gorilla tracking guide for more information to help you plan an amazing safari to see the great gorillas in Africa.
