How do gorillas take care of their young ones ?
Answers
Answer:
yes
report by gorilla tree Africa
Explanation:
All living species have a special way of taking care of their infants and there is believed to be a strong bond between the mothers and their babies across all the species.
So how is this case with the mountain gorillas?
Mountain gorillas are found in the Virunga Mountains where they are protected in three separate cross-border habitats; Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Virunga National Park in DR Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. The area is referred to as the Virunga Conservation Area and it also includes many other tourist attractions like golden monkeys and other primates, mammals, birds, and several volcanic summits.
Gorilla babies
A baby gorilla with its mum in Bwindi forest
The second mountain gorilla habitat is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda located outside the Virunga Mountains in the North. This habit has got the highest number of Mountain gorillas with more than half of their global population living here.
Mountain gorillas attract the highest number of tourists in the region who arrange gorilla safaris to trek these large and gentle primates in their natural habitat.
Mountain gorillas are the largest living primates and they share about 98% of the human DNA.
Gorilla mothers are perhaps the most loving primates to their infants as they provide complete care to the young ones during their first few years in the wild.
Mother gorillas do carry their young ones everywhere against their chest after birth and later they have them ride on their backs
Although this takes a lot of extra energy especially considering that they travel with their families every day coupled with feeding the babies, it seems the mothers have fully embraced this challenge for the sake of their babies.
Unlike humans and maybe other species, gorilla mothers hardly allow other family members to carry or handle their infants though sometimes a few members are allowed to lend a hand.
According to the researchers of the Fossey Fund in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, a few family members who are allowed by the gorilla mothers to lend a hand in carrying the baby gorillas are usually young females who have not yet given birth and were thus practicing their baby-handling skills. Others were maternal relatives to mothers like sisters and aunts.
The study revealed that non-mother handling of gorilla infants is less common compared to other primates. This was attributed to the weaker relationship between adult female gorillas than that of other primates.
However, the researchers were still puzzled about the benefits of infant handling. Could the practice be helping mothers to feed more freely or it relieves them of the burden of transporting them for long distances? For handlers, maybe it gives them an opportunity to become more successful future mothers.
Answer:
Gorilla mothers have very strong bonds with their infants, and provide complete care for them during their first few years, starting with carrying them everywhere against their chest, and then later having them ride on their backs.