What do gorillas eat? And other gorilla facts

The document details the diet, social structure, and species diversity of gorillas in central and eastern Africa. It highlights the role of gorillas as an "umbrella" species whose habitat protection supports broader biodiversity and climate change mitigation, particularly in the Congo Basin. The text also outlines threats such as Ebola, poaching, and habitat destruction, while noting that ecotourism provides financial incentives for forest preservation.

• Gorillas serve as an "umbrella" species, meaning that the management plans required for their survival—which necessitate large, undisturbed forests—simultaneously protect numerous other species and help mitigate climate change.
• The Congo Basin is described as part of the "lungs of the planet" due to its capacity to absorb significant amounts of carbon, and gorillas inhabit these critical tropical forests.
• Gorillas contribute to forest health and plant diversity by dispersing large seeds through dung, moving seeds across wide ranges to promote genetic diversity, and creating canopy gaps that allow light-demanding plants to grow.
• Gorillas face several critical threats, including diseases like Ebola, habitat fragmentation, and poaching. While direct poaching for food is uncommon, gorillas are often killed by unselective snares intended for other wildlife, and the illegal trade of live apes is a problem in Central Africa.
• Ecotourism provides economic incentives for governments and local communities to maintain forests instead of converting them to extractive uses or agriculture.

APA

WWF International (n.d.). What do gorillas eat? And other gorilla facts. https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/facts/what-do-gorillas-eat-and-other-gorilla-facts/

Chicago

WWF International. What do gorillas eat? And other gorilla facts. n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/facts/what-do-gorillas-eat-and-other-gorilla-facts/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=What do gorillas eat? And other gorilla facts |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/facts/what-do-gorillas-eat-and-other-gorilla-facts/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndwhat, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{What do gorillas eat? And other gorilla facts}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/facts/what-do-gorillas-eat-and-other-gorilla-facts/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }