What do Mountain Gorillas eat in the Wild?

Eating just like in other living things is what keeps life. Gorillas have different diets and the mountain gorilla diet is so specific that it has to live in its natural habitat. What do mountain gorillas eat is a frequently asked question when it comes to what many want to know about Mountain Gorillas.

There are only about 1063 mountain gorillas remaining in the wild living in two habitats one in the Bwindi forest and the other in the Virunga volcanoes.

Just like their name suggests, they live in high altitudes at heights ranging from 8,000 to 13,000 feet above sea level. Mountain gorillas are one of the subspecies of the eastern gorillas that is known not to survive under captivity or in zoos, this is partly because of their diet.

Here we give you an insight into what mountain gorillas eat, how much they eat, where they get their food, for how long do they eat, and a lot more.

What do Mountain Gorillas eat in the Wild?

Mountain Gorilla Eating

Mountain Gorillas Diet/ what mountain gorillas eat

gorillas are vegetarian great apes that eat mainly vegetables. The vegetables eaten by mountain gorillas include stems, leaves, bamboo shoots, pith, roots, moth, fruits, and grubs.

Of their diet, fruits make 25%. Aside from vegetation, at times mountain gorillas supplement their diet with termites that they get by breaking termite nests to eat larva, ants, and insects.

With the consumption of vegetables, the range of plants or vegetation eaten by gorillas adds up to 250 plant species. Of these plant species, the gorillas are fond of eating high sugar foods and rather low fiber foods that contain tannins with protein and sugar. However, even with the fact that they consume more high sugar foods, this is not based on diet selection but rather food availability.

On rare occasions, mountain gorillas eat ash and soil and this is to regulate their digestive system. The Mountain gorilla diet according to Sea World is by percentage comprised of 86% leaves, 7% roots, 3% flowers, 2% fruit as well as 2% snails, grubs, and ants.

The other fact about gorilla feeding is that due to the high consumption of vegetation, mountain gorillas rarely drink water.

How much Vegetation does a mountain gorilla eat a day?

It is really not easy to state the exact amount consumed/eaten by a mountain gorilla in a single day however, it is estimated that in a single day, an adult male gorilla can consume up to 30 kilograms of vegetation whereas an adult female can consume up to 18 kilograms. To attain this amount of vegetation in a day, the gorillas move for almost 3-6 kilometers to forage within the forest.

From where do Mountain gorillas get their food?

They get their food within the forests in which they live in. Mountain gorillas are known to live in their natural habitats and for Uganda gorilla safaris they are found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park as well as Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

Virunga National Park and Volcanoes National Park inhabit the mountain gorillas in Congo and Rwanda respectively. These habitats are dense forests with thick afro montane vegetation that caters to the mountain gorilla diet.

The parks are highly protected by the different country authorities to ensure that the forests are not destroyed by deforestation and therefore remain a favorable habitat for these elusive giants.

How much time does a gorilla spend eating each day?

With the high amount of vegetation eaten each day, one can wonder how many hours it takes for a mountain gorilla to satisfy its diet. It is believed that 30% of their time of the day is spent foraging for food. The gorillas spend most of their time on the move to eat on the different plant species.

The movement of mountain gorillas in search of food is what calls for gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda, Rwanda, or Congo because you move as the gorillas move until you get to meet them.

When you choose to go gorilla trekking, it should be to see mountain gorillas since it’s such a lifetime experience. During the trek, the most probable thing you will find mountain gorillas doing is eating most of the time, it is rare to miss out on the feeding.

Here are some of the recommended itineraries that tourists can choose when going on the East Africa safari.