A full-grown gorilla can be six feet tall and weigh 500 pounds. Animals this large with heavy, black fur coats may look threatening, but they can be as gentle as a Shetland pony. People studying gorillas have spent many pleasant days with them in their African forest homeland.
Actually, wild gorillas are rarely seen, as they are shy and disappear quickly when approached. But they are very social with other gorillas. Gorilla families, called troops, ranging from 2 to 50 animals, are led by a dominant adult male called a silverback. He takes care of the troop, making sure it is safe and deciding things like when and where to sleep and eat.
A male gorilla is much stronger than the strongest human, with its massive bones, broad shoulders and long arms. Such big animals need lots of food, and a good part of the day is spent eating. They eat many kinds of plants, including bamboo shoots, tree bark, flowers and fruits. Some species like to eat ants and termites.
Males sometimes thump loudly on their hairy chests. The bigger the male, the louder the thump, so it can be a way of attracting females and warning other males to stay away. It can also be a warning that he is about to attack an intruder, and hopefully avoiding such a conflict. They use other ways of communicating, including screams and laughing. A female may scream if she isn’t happy about something. This alerts the silverback that he needs to check on the situation. He will do his best to defend the troop against any intruder, even if it means dying in the attempt.
Females give birth to one tiny baby, weighing up to four pounds. The baby stays right with its mother for six months, and then it starts exploring the world a bit while staying close to its mother. Eventually it is old enough to enjoy playing with other little ones, climbing and swinging on trees or sliding down tree trunks.
Each night the adults make new nests on the ground or in higher branches of trees, pulling grass and tender branches together, something like a huge bird’s nest.
While gorillas and other apes look something like people, we are not related. The first chapter of Genesis makes it very clear that man was a separate creation from beasts, fish and birds. This is confirmed again in the New Testament, which tells us clearly, “All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds” (1 Corinthians 15:3939All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. (1 Corinthians 15:39)). There are those who try to teach otherwise, but the Word of God is always true.
Did You Know?
A full-grown gorilla can be six feet tall and weigh 500 pounds.
Messages of God’s Love 1/5/25