Gorillas have been the subjects of study for many years. The fact that they are so similar to humans and that they can learn many things at a surprisingly fast rate has baffled scientists. This has not been the only reason for their research. They have been the focal point of many activists because their numbers have been decreasing at an alarming rate.
There are many things about gorillas that make them fascinating. I remember watching a group of scientists go into the jungle to find out why 3 gorillas had been segregated from one of the larger gorilla groups. In the wild, this can be a recipe for disaster as strength is usually in numbers. The scientists set up camp at a neutral spot from where the two groups were.
This group of scientists included one gorilla expert. This doctor had lived for a few years with many gorillas and assessed their relationships and the way they are structured. The silverback male plays a crucial role in maintaining order and balance in the group. He is also the main protector from intruders. Seeing a silverback for the first time is something you will never forget.
Silverbacks are not the friendliest or most social of gorillas. They are very aware of their size and what this can do. They don’t need to prove anything to anyone, especially to humans. There have been close calls when humans get a little too close to gorillas and the silverback gives them a frightening warning to back off. Not paying attention to this warning can have grave consequences.
One of the segregated gorillas had gotten injured in a scuffle with a silverback. This injury was preventing him to feed properly and had been taken care of by the scientists and the other two gorillas in the group. This gorilla had tried to take the position of the silverback and failed. The silverback wasn’t having any of the rebels in his group anymore, so they were kicked out.
There was another gorilla group that the scientists were hoping would take them in. The problem was that if the other group saw them as a threat, they could be in serious trouble. The scientists decided to give it a try and used their good relationship with these animals to arrange a sort of meeting. The three segregated gorillas showed a submissive attitude when meeting the other group, which made their acceptance a success.
There’s an important gorilla researcher that has been doing wonderful things for gorillas lately. His name is Damian Aspinall and he is the President of the Aspinall Foundation. He recently released a few gorillas that he had rescued as babies and were received by a large group of gorillas. This time, he is back with his wife. He hopes they can accept her in the group. There’s a slight possibility that they might see her as a threat and be hostile. What would it be?
