Silverback Gorilla morning siesta alpha male Virunga volcanic rain forest mountains National Park Rwanda Endangered species
This pensive Silverback Gorilla is resting among his native volcanic rain forest mountain range in the Virunga National Park near Kinigi and Ruhengiri in North Western Rwanda on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is the Alpha male member of one of the smaller troups which has two Silverbacks and several females, lieutenants and young. They range predominantly in the lower reaches of the mountains but as with all the troups of the Virungas, move freely all over the mountain slopes. They are monitored by trackers on a daily basis and visited regularly in the mornings by groups of tourists. A gorilla's day is synchronized, divided between rest periods and travel or feeding periods. Diets differ between and within species. Mountain gorillas mostly eat foliage, such as leaves, stems, pith, and shoots, while fruit makes up a very small part of their diets. Younger males subordinate to the silverback, known as blackbacks and may serve as backup protection. Blackbacks are aged between 8 and 12 years of age. Gorillas construct nests for daytime and night use. Nests tend to be simple aggregations of branches and leaves about 2 to 5 ft in diameter and are constructed by individuals. 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. Like humans, gorillas have individual finger prints. Their eye colour is dark brown, framed by a black ring around the iris. Similar to humans, the leading cause of death in gorillas is cardiovascular disease. A silverback is typically more than 12 years of age, and is named for the distinctive patch of silver hair on its back, which comes with maturity. Silverbacks also have large canine teeth which also come with maturity. Both males and females tend to emigrate from their natal groups. For mountain gorillas, females disperse from their natal troops more than males.
Size: 4287px × 2848px
Location: Virunga volcanic mountains National Park Kinigi Ruhengiri Rwanda Central Africa
Photo credit: © Roland Pargeter / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: africa, albertine, alpha, central, deceased, dian, endangered, fossey, gorilla, group/troup, male, primate, protected, research, rift, rwanda, silverback, small, species., virunga, zoologist
