Able to conceive for only about three days each month, the female produces a single young. Newborn gorillas are weak and tiny, weighing in at about 4 pounds. Their movements are as awkward as those of human infants, but their development is roughly twice as fast. At 3 or 4 months, the gorilla infant can sit upright and can stand with support soon after. The gorilla's only known enemies are leopards and humans.
Crocodiles are potentially dangerous to lowland gorillas.
In western Africa, gorillas are commonly hunted for meat or in retaliation for crop raiding, but in eastern Africa they have been the victims of snares and traps set for antelope and other animals. Poachers have also destroyed entire family groups in their attempts to capture infant gorillas for zoos, while others are killed to sell their heads and hands as trophies. Gorillas rarely attack humans. But in an encounter a person should stay still and refrain from staring or pointing at the gorilla. Gorillas are susceptible to various parasites and diseases, especially to pneumonia during the long, cold wet seasons.