Underneath the big build and imposing exterior, they are actually gentle, shy and affectionate animals. Home stretches from the forests of equatorial Africa - the western lowlands near the coast of Cameroon to Uganda and the central highlands of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Gorillas are big, stocky creatures with a massive head and bulging forehead.
They have a short trunk, longer arms than legs and they use all four limbs to move around, curling up their fingers and walking on the soles of their feet. Adult male gorillas are larger than their female counterparts. The height of a male gorilla averages at approximately 1.7 metres and their weight at 180 kg. The female meanwhile have the average height of 1.4 metres and weigh 90 kg. Gorillas are dark skinned with reddish brown to nearly black, coarse hair.