EASTERN GORILLA (GORILLA BERINGEI )

Ecological role occur in the Virungas, and may also have been
Not only is gorilla behavior adapted to the eco- lost from Bwindi.
systems in which they live, but gorillas also help
to shape these ecosystems. As large, heavy, and Social behavior
dexterous animals that consume a lot of foliage, More than 30 years of research at the Karisoke
they also change the structure of vegetation by Research Center established by Dian Fossey has
trampling it. This can stimulate regrowth and made mountain gorillas one of the best-studied
productivity; stem densities of some herbaceous primate species.122 Much is known about their
foods increase in the aftermath of gorilla feeding.170 social behavior, feeding ecology, life history
It is not certain whether there is a positive-feedback patterns, and demography.115, 118, 134, 140, 178, 183 Given
mechanism through which gorilla activity leads to a the ecological variability between gorillas in
more edible plant community.105, 180 different habitats, one important question is the
In many forest communities, primates act both extent to which the information available from
as seed predators and as seed dispersers; they Karisoke applies to other gorilla populations.
are likely to have an important impact on patterns Groups of eastern gorillas may contain only
of forest regeneration and on the diversity of tree one mature male, several mature males (in a
species86 (see also Boxes 4.4 and 5.1). Western ‘multimale’ group), or may consist of males
gorillas have been reported to disperse seeds,150 only.116, 195 Most comprise a single dominant adult
and the consumption of fruit by eastern lowland and male or silverback, typically with three or four
Bwindi mountain gorillas suggests that they may females and four or five offspring.53, 186 Over the
also play this role. past three decades in the Virungas, between 10
Eastern gorillas share their habitat with percent and 50 percent of mountain gorilla groups
other large mammalian herbivores, and so might have been multimale,80 while at Bwindi about 50
be expected to compete with them for food. percent of groups are multimale.92 About
Mammalian herbivores in the Virungas include 10 percent of eastern lowland gorilla groups are
buffalo (Syncerus caffer) and bushbuck (Tragela- multimale.203 If the dominant male mountain
phus scriptus), but these are not thought to have gorilla dies in a one-male group, the group may A male silverback
a significant impact on the mountain gorilla disintegrate; should this happen in a multimale eastern lowland gorilla,
population.106, 107, 110 Other herbivores, such as group, however, one of the subordinate males can Democratic Republic of
black-fronted duiker (Cephalophus nigrifrons) and take over leadership and the group may then stay the Congo.
the African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis), Elizabeth A. Williamson
show little dietary overlap with the mountain
gorilla.106 Elephants have considerable potential
to impact the food supply of the mountain gorilla,
but their numbers are so low as to have little real
effect.107 Mountain and eastern lowland gorillas
are sympatric (occur together) with chimpanzees
in some areas, and their diets are known to
overlap.136, 205 Although one competitive encounter
between chimpanzees and the Bwindi mountain
gorillas has been observed, different foraging
strategies are employed by these species and
there is little evidence of feeding competition
between them.136 It has been suggested that sym-
patry with chimpanzees may have promoted a leaf-
eating strategy in gorillas, moving their feeding
niche away from that occupied by chimpanzees203
(see Box 8.1).
The only known predators of gorillas are
humans and leopards (Panthera pardus).124
Evidence of attacks by leopards on western gorillas
is outlined in Chapter 7, but these cats no longer

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