Mountain gorillas are also referred as Gorilla Beringei beringei features among the two prime subspecies of the Eastern gorilla. There are two populations of these Great Apes, one in the Virunga Volcanic Mountains of Central Africa featuring mainly the Virunga National Park in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Volcanoes National Park in Northwestern Rwanda and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Southwestern Uganda. Mountain gorillas are listed as the most critically endangered apes by IUCN. The other category of these large primates is protected within then jungles of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. There are fewer than 900 endangered mountain gorillas that still thrive in the whole world. Many of these giant apes live in the slopes of three dominant volcanoes of Karisimbi, Mikeno and Visoke.

The rare mountain gorillas are members of the large primates dating far back to the old world monkey and are featuring among the leading attraction for gorilla tours in Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic of Congo. Surviving at 900 kilometers from the western low land gorillas, the rare mountain gorillas are restricted to only Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo.

These apes are famous to have originated from the same family, the separation of the rare mountain gorillas and the Western Lowland gorilla groups took place the last ice age that destroyed the equatorial forests of Central Africa basin resulting to the growth of savanna vegetation. These gorilla families wouldn’t re-unite because the vegetation was not favorable to them and though the equatorial vegetation later rejuvenated, the groups had taken varied directions and wouldn’t re-unite.

This kind of historical separation formed two groups the western lowland gorillas and the Eastern Lowland gorillas about two million years back and then with the Eastern Low land gorillas at 400000 years. Because of this separation, the groups developed different genetic formation, the body spread and the color as explored on African gorilla adventures in Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo.

Apparently, the mountain gorillas live within the montane rain forests of the Albertine Rift that is divided into two different parts such as the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park with over 400 mountain gorillas and the Virunga Massifs protected as Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in South western Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and lastly the Virunga National Park in DR Congo that makes up about 480 individuals.

The mountain gorillas are spectacular primates, they thrive within an elevation of 2200 to 4300 meters above sea level with thick vegetation at the base of the mountain layers and sparse at the higher elevation. The gorilla highlands as they are usually regarded tend to be cloud, cold and misty that makes up the back ground of description of “Gorillas in the Mist” as it is normally used on gorilla trekking tours in Uganda and Rwanda.

Mountain gorillas are largely herbivores with much of their diet being stems, leaves and shoots that make up 85.8% from the range of 142 plant species. They can also feed on the tree barks (6.9%), flowers 2.3 percent, roots 3.3 percent and fruits 1.7 % together with other invertebrates 0.1 percent. The present of these food sources could determine the refuge of these endangered species hence supporting their survival to dwell in different zones including bamboo at 2200 to 2800 meters, hagenia forests-2800 to 3400 meters and giant senecio zone-3400 to 4300 meters. Mostly, they spend a lot of their time in hagenia where the gallium vines tend to be present throughout the year and could be in the bamboo when the season for the fresh forage increases. These movements also determine the best time for gorilla trekking for trekkers on Uganda Rwanda and Congo gorilla tours.

The mountain gorillas are the world’s Great Apes that feature thicker hair longer than that of other gorilla species, and this helps them to survive in colder temperatures. Gorillas can be distinguished by their nose prints that are rare from each other; the males weigh about 195 kilograms and stand at a height of 150 centimeters. The females weigh about 100 kilograms and stands at a height of 130 centimeters. This makes them the second giant ape species in the world.

The rare mountain gorillas are largely terrestrial and quadrupedal, though they can also climb into fruiting plant species if the branches favor their weight and can even reach up to six meters. Just like any primates, other than humans, their arms are longer than the legs. It moves by knuckle walking just like chimpanzees but unlike the Bonobo and orangutan species. They are also diurnal and mostly active between 6:00am and 6:00pm. Much of the time is spent feeding as large quantities of food are needed to sustain its large size. They forage in the morning, rest late in the morning and afternoon and afternoon still feed before resting at night. Each mountain gorilla constructs a new nest each day.

In conclusion, mountain gorillas are unique apes in the wild. They live in higher altitude and feature thick hair layer on their bodies that has led them acquainted to the nature of weather and climatic changes in the habitat.