Western Lowland Gorilla
Gorilla gorilla gorilla
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Range and habitat:
Inhabits warm, humid equatorial rainforests in west central Africa, eastern Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Congo. Gorillas are terrestial.
Natural diet:
Succulent herbs like wild ginger, (they eat the leaves, pith roots and fruits of the ginger plant). Also eats leaves, shoots, stems, fruits, ferns or other vegetable matter.
Size / weight range:
Males can be up to 5 feet tall and weigh beween 350 and 600 pounds. Females can be bewteen 3.5 and 4 feet tall and can weigh between 150 and 300 lbs. Infants weigh 4 to 5 pounds. Western Lowland Gorillas are the smallest of the gorilla subspecies.
Interesting Facts:
The gorillas at The Toledo Zoo are part of the Species Survival Plan program.
Western Lowland Gorillas are endangered.
Bushmeat trade, growing because of logging industry demand, is the immediate threat, particularly in Cameroon. The gorilla population is also threatened by habitat destruction caused by logging and agricultural expansion.
Location at The Toledo Zoo:
Kingdom of the Apes.
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