Daily habits of Uganda Mountain Gorillas

Gorillas spend about 30% of their time feeding, 30% of their time moving and foraging, and the remaining 40% of the day at rest. They are the most terrestrial of the great apes, spending over 90% of their time on the ground. They move about on all fours, but can stand upright for short periods, particularly to reach food plants or as part of chest-beating display. Gorilla Safari

They rise at daybreak to travel and fed in the morning, before settling down for a long rest at midday. When foraging, the gorillas may feed as they move, but usually they find an open area where they can spread out and concentrate on having their fill. It is the dominant silverback who invariably determines where they go and where they feed. gorilla tours

During the afternoon, the group typically moves a gain before finding a place to spend the night. Each gorilla makes its own nest every night save for the infants, who sleep with their mothers until weaned at the age of 3-4 years. Nests are usually grouped around the dominant male. However, nests may be spread over 100m or more, particularly in groups where several silverbacks are present. Night nests are usually used once and jettisoned. (gorilla trekking) Typically, gorillas defecate in their nests, and the freshness of the dung is a clue to the age of the nest.

Sometimes, gorillas may sleep late on rainy days, or on mornings after a long trek.
Gorilla groups usually move less than 1 Km on average per day, and rarely more than two. (Rwanda gorilla tours)Longer movements typically follow an aggressive interaction or other events that have stressed the group. When travelling, brace yourself for a holy day’s hike if you don’t find feeding sites or you find diarrheic dung, which is a sign of stressed animals.