WHY DO GORILLAS FIGHT
Why Do Gorillas Fight : Gorillas are among the most remarkable primate species with a number of unique features that have attracted a number of tourists to participate in gorilla trekking in Africa. There are four types of gorillas in the wild that can be seen in different national parks in Africa, the western gorillas can be seen in Nigeria, Cameroon and the forests within the Congo basin, the mountain gorillas can be seen along the Virunga mountains in Rwanda, volcanoes national park, along the Virunga mountains in Uganda in Mgahinga national park and in Bwindi impenetrable national park and in Virunga national park which will give you the chance to understand a number of interesting features of the primates like their strength, why they fight, gorilla strength vs chimpanzees, facts about the gorillas, are gorillas friendly and many other interesting features of the primates to thrill while on Rwanda Wildlife Safaris.
While participating in gorilla trekking in Africa, as you spend time with the gorilla families you will get to see how built the gorillas which contributes to their strength which has led to the gentle giants to get into fights in case there is need for protecting themselves and the gorilla family members. Some of the main reasons why gorillas fight with each other and other wild animals include the following;
Leadership
A silver back is the dominant member of each gorilla family and because a particular gorilla family can have more than two silverbacks, there can be tension among the silverbacks due to the need for leadership. For a silverback to become the head of the gorilla family, they are supposed to challenge the dominant male to a fight which is among the main reasons why gorillas fight. Interesting about the fight for leadership between the gorillas is because if the loser is defeated, he is chased from the gorilla family with a few females to start his own family.
Mating
Another reason why gorillas might fight is when gorillas in a gorilla family try to mate with the adult females in the particular gorilla family. It should be noted that the dominant silver back in the gorilla family has all the mating rights with all the adult females in the gorilla family, therefore for any male to mate with the females there can be a fight between the male and the dominant male and in some instances, the male can be chased away from the gorilla family to avoid futures collisions and unrest within a particular family.
Territorial encroachment
Each gorilla family is entitled to a particular area that they settle in however when different gorilla families encroach on each other’s territories, there can be fight outbreaks in order to protect each other’s territories this is done because the territories they settle in are where they construct their nests, they have food and a safe from predators like leopards and external attacks.
Food scarcity
Food scarcity reasons has also contributed to gorilla fights and other animals there has been a number of fights recorded between chimpanzees and gorillas during food scarcity in the wild where other primates encroach on each other’s territories to get food and this can lead to fatal fights between the two. During poaching and capture of gorilla infants you will find gorillas fighting against the humans to protect their families and because of the fact that they are very strong species, they are killed to capture the infants and in the long run has contributed to the reasons why gorillas are an endangered species because they are hunted down by humans and predators for food.
Need more members/ enlarging a gorilla group
While gorillas establish their families, they can either attract the members from a particular gorilla family or they can raid a gorilla family to capture more members in order to enlarge their gorilla family interesting about this is the fact that if the dominant silverback in a particular gorilla family is weak as compared to the raider, they can leave them as a lone gorilla without a member and this means he can move to another gorilla or attract females from the different gorilla families to establish a family of his own.
If you’re interested in visiting the endangered species in the wild, take part in activities like gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park which is part of the top tourism activities in Rwanda that will give you the chance to hike mount gahinga, mount muhabura, mount sabyinyo, mount karisimbi and mount bisoke in order to access the habituated Rwanda gorilla families in the country. You can also participate in gorilla trekking in kahuzi biega national park to understand more about the eastern lowland gorillas, you can participate in gorilla trekking in Congo to understand more about the mountain gorillas and visit the Senkwenkwe gorilla orphanage and volunteer for a day taking care of the primates in the wild.
And with your Packing list for gorilla trekking in Rwanda, Uganda and Congo, you will have an amazing time spending more time with the endangered species in the wild observing their social organisation, their hierarchy among other interesting features in the wild.
