Male Western Lowland Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) of the Neptuno Group. They have disturbed ground nesting bees while digging for roots and tubers. The bees don't seem to bother the gorillas but when they found us, they swamed us and drove us away. The western lowland gorilla is the smallest subspecies of gorilla. They possess no tails and have jet black skin along with coarse black hair that covers their entire body except for the face, ears, hands, and feet. The hair on the back and rump of males takes on a grey coloration and is also lost as they get progressively older. This coloration is the reason why older males are known as "silverbacks". Their hands are proportionately large with nails on all digits, similar to that of a human's, and very large thumbs. They have short muzzles, a prominent brow ridge, large nostrils, and small eyes and ears. Other features are large muscles in the jaw region along with broad and strong teeth. It is the gorilla usually found in zoos. In 2006–07, researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society studied gorillas in heavily forested regions centered on the Ouesso district of the Sangha Region. They suggest a population on the order of 125,000 Western Lowland Gorillas, whose isolation from humans has been largely preserved by inhospitable swamps.
RepublicCongoAfricaApesCongo RepublicCongoBrazzavilleDepartment of CuvetteQuestGeographyGorila gorillaGorillaGorilla gorilla gorillapotpourriHominidaeMarantaceae ForestNdzehi ConcessionRepublic of CongoWestern Lowland Gorillaanimalforestmammalsprimates