All rights reserved. Sometimes, the Zoo's gorillas even get spooked by lizards that find their way into their exhibit. In the wild, gorillas have been known to beat their chests and charge people or other animals. They do this to try and scare people away. Despite their size, they rarely attack people or other animals.
Gorillas live in family groups called troops.
Troops range in size from 5 to 30 gorillas. The head of the family is an adult male gorilla called a silverback. As a male gets older and stronger, the hair on his back turns gray, or silvery. The silverback boss may have several younger male gorillas, called blackbacks, who assist him. The rest of the troop is made up of female gorillas, some with babies.