Cross River Pregnant Gorilla And Children

by Cynthia Wolfe

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Cross River Pregnant Gorilla And Children

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Cynthia Wolfe

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The NC Zoo was packed Saturday. I guess the good weather made everyone think like I did...What a great day to visit the ZOO! The Gorilla Exhibit was totally packed with kids and adults...The Gorillas were perhaps the only animals NOT eating while I desperately wanted to photograph them. I actually could not get close to the front of the group and shooting through the plexi-glass, I thought would be a challenge. Then to top it all off, they were a long ways away. They probably get tired of people and lens staring at them all day, every day.

When I spotted this pregnant Gorilla and apparently two of her offspring rolling and playing on the ground and would at times, land on their mom. Her expression, which I'm sure never changes, struck me so funny. Of course, the dad was no where to be found and she was having more...She looked tired and mad! I must go back on a week day, alone so hopefully I can get more close ups.

Adult females can weigh up to 220 pounds and stand 4 ft 7 in. Adult male gorillas weigh up to 440 pounds and can reach a height of six feet when standing on two legs. Mature male gorillas are known as “silverbacks” for the white hair that develops on their back at about 14 years of age.

Cross River gorillas have certain nesting behaviors (i.e. mean nest group size, style of the nest, location of the nest, and nest reuse patterns) that depend on things such as their current habitat, climate, food source availability and risk of attack or vulnerability. According to research done on the Cross River gorillas living in the Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary, there is a high correlation between whether a nest is constructed on the ground or in a tree and the season. From April up until November, Cross River gorillas are more likely to build their nests within a tree, and from November on they are more likely to build it on the ground. Overall, it was found that more nests built at night were built on the ground as opposed to in trees. This species is also more likely to construct nests during the wet season than the dry season, as well as construct more arboreal nests in the wet season. It was found that day nest construction was more common, especially in the wet season. Reuse of nesting sites was also found to be common, although it did not have any relation to the season. And, their mean nest group size is from four to seven individuals. Although, nest group size varies depending on the location of the species.[17]
The groups of cross river gorillas consist mainly of one male and six to seven females plus their offspring. Gorillas in lowlands are seen to have less offspring than those in the highlands. This is thought to be because of the hunting rate in the lowlands and infant mortality rate. The groups in the highlands are densely populated compared to those in the lowlands.[18]
The cross river gorilla's diet consists largely of fruit, herbaceous vegetation, liana, and tree bark. Much like their nesting habits, what they eat is contingent on the season.[2] Observations of the gorilla indicate that it seems to prefer fruit, but will settle for other sources of nutrition during the dry season of about 4–5 months in northern regions.[19] Cross River gorillas eat more liana and tree bark throughout the year, and less fruit during dry periods of scarcity.[

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March 26th, 2017

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