In science, the mountain gorillas are known as Gorilla beringei beringei and are noted to be the descendants of the ancestral monkeys which are known to have lived in Africa and Arabia at the beginning of the Oligocene epoch about 34 – 24 million years ago.
Despite the poor record of their evolutionary history, it is believed that the primate group which evolved into gorillas separated from the common ancestor along with the chimpanzees and humans about nine (9) million years ago and the initial relative of mountain gorillas is known as Proconsul Africanus.
The mountain gorillas are known to have separated from the Eastern lowland gorillas about 400,000 years ago while the two are believed to have separated from the western lowland gorillas about 2 million years ago.
According to IUCN classification, Gorillas are in two sub species namely the Gorilla gorilla and Gorilla beringei.
However, this classification has not been an easy matter. The genus was first referred as Troglodytes in the year 1847 but in 1852, it was renamed gorilla.
A taxonomist Colin Gloves in the year in 1967 suggested that gorillas should be divided into three Sub species namely Gorilla gorilla gorilla for the western low land gorillas, Gorilla gorilla gruaeri for the eastern lowland and Gorilla gorilla beringei for the mountain gorillas. This was reviewed by IUCN and categorised them in their current siting.
The Mountain gorillas are known to be vegetarian animals that on rare occasions enjoy the supplement from the insects. They are shy and less offensive creatures though with frightening eyes and body features.
The mountain gorillas are the most powerful of all the apes and an adult gorilla can weigh up to 275kg with a height of 1.7m (6ft).
Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is gifted wit counts of the mountain gorillas as it is part of the greater Virunga massif where 480 mountain gorillas are known to be thriving.
There are a range of gorilla families that have been habituated and are always encountered by travelers on Rwanda gorilla safaris and tours. Other groups are dedicated for research only.
The gorilla groups that have been dedicated for research encounters include; Pablo Shida and Beets me. While the gorilla trekking groups count to ten and they can be given below;
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