They are threatened by poaching, loss of habitat, human disease and war. Accidents from snares set for black market antelope meat can result in the loss of a hand or foot, and septicaemia from injuries can be fatal. Mountain gorillas are social animals who live in close family groups of around 5 to 40. Females usually conceive at around 8-9 years with their first baby being born before age 10. Males will usually reproduce before the age of 15.
Gorillas are almost entirely herbivorous.
They eat berries, roots, shoots, fruit, leaves, bark, bamboo and wild celery, and occasionally ants. An adult male can consume up to 30 kilos of food each day. No mountain gorilla has ever survived in captivity for more than a few years.