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. Its aim is to reinforce and encourage African ownership, build local capacity, and empower grass-roots initiative by applying successful conservation, research, education and development techniques through existing local networks. Applied Conservation Ranger patrols and law enforcement within the national parks have always been the main deterrent to poaching and the unsustainable use of forest resources.