World Gorilla Day 2020 Facts: Did You Know Gorillas Make a New Bed Everyday? Know Interesting Facts About the Ape

World Gorilla Day is observed to creates an opportunity for people all over the world to come together in celebrating the gorilla, and take action to protect gorillas in the wild. Due to protection, mountain gorillas have improved from critically endangered to endangered in the past years. All other subspecies of gorillas are still critically endangered and facing serious declines. As we observe World Gorilla Day 2020, we bring some interesting facts about the herbivorous apes. Did you know gorillas make their own bed and make a new one everyday? Read below for more such facts about the wild animal. World’s Rarest and Endangered Cross River Gorillas Spotted With Their Babies in Southern Nigeria for the First Time (See Pictures)

There are two species of gorilla: eastern and western with the mountain gorilla being the sub-species of the eastern gorillas. Mountain gorillas are endangered with an estimated 1,063 being present in the wild. First World Gorilla Day was observed in 2017 which also marked the fiftieth anniversary of Karisoke Research Center, operated by The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International (DFGFI), longest running gorilla field study site dedicated to the conservation, protection, and study of gorillas. Gorilla Spotted Brushing Up Ball Skills at Paignton Zoo Ahead of Rugby World Cup 2019, See Pics.

• Both Eastern and Western gorillas — are found in equatorial Africa. Their subspecies include mountain gorillas, Cross River gorillas, western lowland gorillas and Grauer's gorillas.
• Mountain gorillas are found in high altitude montane and bamboo forests, which are surrounded by agriculture and settlements.
• They are genetically very similar to humans hence, hence, exposure to human illnesses can have potentially detrimental impacts on them.
• Gorillas sleep at least 12 hours a night and make a new bed almost every single night
• An average male mountain gorilla can weigh 180kg and measure 170cm tall.
• Mountain gorillas spend about a quarter of their day eating mainly leaves and shoots. They are also known to eat snails, ants and bark.
• To intimidate rivals, male gorillas strut with stiff legs, beat their chests, and make sounds like roars or hoots.

The main threat to mountain gorillas is loss of habitat. Most of the times, land is often converted for agriculture. With no other chouse, people also enter forests to collect water and firewood, putting gorillas at risk from human contact and illnesses. With habitat loss, they enter farmlands and maize and bananas. On World Gorilla Day 2020, let's take steps to save the wild being and its habitat.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 24, 2020 08:10 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).