How Do Gorillas Sleep?
How Do Gorillas Sleep? Yes gorillas sleep in nests they build every day in the evening by either mothers or males in the gorilla family, each mountain gorilla sleeps in their own except for the female gorillas and their young infants who don’t build nests but sleep with their mothers until she produces again or until when they have matured, they also sleep in their nests but next to their mothers. The young ones learn how to make nets by watching their mothers every day or even try out during the day.
Gorillas make new nests every day whether on the ground or on top of the trees depending on how safe the area is and normally don’t sleep in the same area they build different nests even if the previous one of the days before is close, the nests are made of leaves and twigs they get from the vegetation around them, gorilla sometimes can sleep in the same nests but this is not common and often occurs when it rains.
During midday gorillas also build temporary nests where they take some sleep while others are grooming and playing with each other. Gorillas can construct their nests on the ground or trees depending on variables such as safety and vegetation round though females and infants always prefer to sleep on trees the silverbacks hardly sleep on top of trees. They are nomads, they are constantly moving from one area to another according to the availability of fruits and vegetation.
Just like human beings, mountain gorillas sleep for the whole night and can sleep for over 12 hours. They set up their nets close to the sunset to make sure that they are safe inside the sleeping areas by the time it’s dark.
Mountain gorillas stay in groups of 5-30 members being led by a dominant silverback that is responsible for the group’s daily activities. The dominating silverback also ensures the safety of the group and will fight to the death in case of any attacks just like the female mountain gorillas can fight for their loved ones if any predator attacks.
When planning to trek mountain gorillas, tourists should come with good hiking boots, warm clothes, raincoats, insect repellents, energy snacks, drinking water, face masks, sanitizers, sunscreen, garden gloves and so much more. Potters are always available to help tourists with luggage at an affordable price. Tourists with infectious diseases such as cough, flu, diarrhea, and children below the age of 15 years will not be allowed to trek gorillas, gorilla permits must be booked in advance of 3-4 months before coming to the country to avoid inconveniences.
Where to meet mountain gorillas
Mountain gorillas can be visited in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla park of Uganda, volcanoes national park of Rwanda as well as Virunga national park of DR Congo. It’s in these parks that you will be able to see all these nets which actually do help you learn more about these incredible giant apes.
What is the best time to visit mountain gorillas?
In all the four national parks where mountain gorillas can be seen, the best time to see these giant apes is during the dry season of June to September and December to February when these months have less rainfall with trials being passable and the roads leading to the park being dry.
