Do you know what happens after a gorilla loses a fight?
Silverback gorilla fights are among the toughest in the animal kingdom, and they typically end with one of them perishing. The gorilla who loses would prefer to lose their lives than continue living. A silverback gorilla takes losing a battle very seriously.
If you were a gorilla and lost a fight, the winner would take your wife and children, forcing you to leave the group alone. It's like being kicked out to perish alone in the woods. Fights among gorillas often involve at least one Silverback gorilla.
Most fights are between silverbacks. Silverbacks are adult male gorillas, named for the silver color of their back hair, which turns grayish around the age of 11. This color changes a sign of maturity. Gorillas live in groups led by a dominant male, who is always a silverback.
The leader has full control over all the group members, including other males. When male gorillas mature, they can leave their families to start and lead their own groups. Since the dominant silverback is the only one that mates with the females and doesn't let any other male in the group do so, attempts to mate with his females are a common reason why silverbacks in the same group fight.
After such a fight, the next question is, what do the gorillas do after fighting? It is common for the male who tried to mate without the head silverback's permission to be pushed out of the group. This male might take some members of the group to start his own family.
Gorillas in the same group also fight when a member doesn't follow the leader's orders. If a younger silverback thinks he can be the leader, he will try to take over. This leads to a brutal fight, and the winner becomes the leader. Other reasons why gorillas fight include protecting their families from enemies or intruders. When two groups meet, their silverbacks often fight.
Before starting a fight, gorillas charge to show that there is something unexpected, wrong, or a thing that they are not happy with. They charge and hit their chests, bear their fangs, stamp their feet, and make loud sounds to show their strength. In case it was an action of the group members that annoyed the silverback, they gathered. Got their bellies on the ground, fold their hands and feet to show submission to the silverback gorilla.
When a silverback gorilla shows aggression towards another silverback, they sometimes calm down and move away from each other to keep the peace. However, if they get into a serious fight, they use their sharp canine teeth, which can cause deep wounds and heavy bleeding, sometimes leading to demise. They also fight with their hands and feet. Their arms are very strong, with large muscles.
And their upper body is said to be six times stronger than that of a strong adult human. So you can imagine how intense a fight between two silverback gorillas can be. Gorillas are gentle and friendly wild animals. They need space when they show signs of disturbance, and your ranger guide will tell you what to do if this happens. Gorillas live happily with their families, playing, helping each other, and protecting each other.
You can see this during your gorilla trek in Windy Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, or Varunga National Park in the DRC. Each country has different prices for its gorilla permits, $700 in Uganda, $1,500 in Rwanda, and $400 in the DRC. Only a group of up to eight people is allowed to trek to see a gorilla group each day. Once you find the gorillas, you can stay with them for just one hour. It is always an exciting moment when tourists see these amazing forest animals.
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