Haven’t we all seen the strong and mighty King Kong in the movies and wondered what this fierce animal is?Yes, we are going to be talking about gorilla species today. Its interesting to learn here that an average human shares a strong 98% of our DNA with a gorilla.There you go; we are now more curious to know about this mammoth and strong animal that shares so much of a similarity with a human. These mammals dwell in the tropical forests of the equatorial region of Africa. There are two species under the genus Gorilla which are Western and Eastern gorillas. Did you know that humans are very closely related to only these mammals; bonobos, chimpanzees, and gorillas? Let’s throw an exciting fact here; did you know a group of gorillas can be called a troop or a band?These species of animals are facing an imminent threat to their survival and are critically endangered. Did you know mountain gorillas face a more significant threat? We have 880 mountain gorillas left in the wild, and we cannot find a mountain gorilla in the zoo. Isn’t that a lot to worry about?We are happy to bring you many more exciting articles here on Kidadl, like can monkeys swim? And can you own a monkey in California? Would you please explore our exhilarating articles and enlighten yourselves?What is the largest species of gorillas?Now that we know we are so closely related to the gorillas, aren’t we intrigued to know how strong is a gorilla? Let us discover more about gorilla strength. Although the gorillas have a docile nature when put to the test, it has been found that they are nine times stronger than the average human being. You can only witness their prowess or the so-called aggressive gorilla strength when these gorillas feel threatened.Now we don’t want to get on the wrong side with these strong gorillas, do we? The average gorillas can weigh anywhere between 220-595 lb ( 100-270 kg). That’s massive, is it not? Just to give an example, the average weight of the gorilla can enable the gorillas to bend an iron bar easily or even uproot a banana tree. Knowing this, one may not want to get into a feet or arms length distance and throw a banana at a gorilla, right?That brings us to an interesting question as to which is the largest species of gorillas? The eastern lowland gorilla, also commonly known as the Grauer’s gorilla, becomes the largest species of gorillas. They can weigh as strong as 440 lb (200 kg) and can size up to 5.5 ft ( 168 cm) while standing on two feet.The eastern lowland gorillas are typically found in the tropical rainforests in the eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the mid-’90s, the population of eastern lowland gorillas was estimated at 17,000, but now scientists have a strong belief that we have a 50% decline in their population. Did you know that Kahuzi-Biega National Park houses a large portion of these gorilla species? Efforts are being taken to protect these animals.How strong is a silverback gorilla?Given the facts that we have unraveled so far, there is no questioning the strength or power of the gorilla or even question how strong is a gorilla. But have you heard of a silverback gorilla? Silverback gorilla is a term used to refer to the dominant male or the leader of the group of gorillas consisting of 5 - 30 animals. So how strong is a silverback gorilla?To give a perspective on how strong is a silverback gorilla is, we can say that the silverback gorilla has power or strength equivalent to 20 humans put together. The silverback gorilla strength allows it to lift a weight 27 times heavier than its body weight. So if we put a silverback gorilla on a bench press, we will see that a silverback gorilla is capable of lifting to 4000 lb (1810 kg ) weight. Isn’t that incredible?A silverback gorilla is distinguished from his troop for the following traits. The males have a bony crest on their back and skull, which is essential to support their jaws and teeth. This particular feature gives a conical appearance to their head. They have very long and thick hair, which is silvery in color. Their arms are longer than their legs to support maximum body weight.Why are gorillas so strong?The gorillas are blessed with a muscular and toned body. So does this well-built body help them in any way? Let us find out now.The gorillas are bestowed with an exceptional ratio of muscle mass. They have immense strength in their jaw muscles and in their arm muscles, thanks to the presence of bamboo in the gorilla’s diet. Gorilla’s unique body structure and their total body mass add to their strength. The fact they are on four legs most of the time keeps their leg muscles stronger always. They are capable of being as fast as 20 - 25 mph ( 32 - 40 kph) but may not be capable of spending energy on a long-distance run. Another factor that makes them stronger is the fact that their longer intestines in the gut digest the complex cellulose in the food. Compared to an adult human, gorilla strength is derived directly from cellulose matter which helps in absorbing bacteria in the gut.How strong is a gorilla punch? How hard can a gorilla punch?So if you are looking to take a strength test of a gorilla and an adult human, the weight comparison or even the arm muscles comparison itself will be an indicator that you do not want to meddle with these creatures. Let’s learn about how the fights with these creatures can turn ghastly for an adult human.If a wild gorilla blows a punch on your skull, it leaves no room for salvaging your skull. A male gorilla can easily defeat a human in a match of wrestling. The blow could break your skull. We will be witnessing a blow with a strength of 1300 psi - 2700 psi. A gorilla bite is the strongest in the animal kingdom. Their 32 teeth can deliver a bite force of 1300 psi as compared to the strength of lions which can make it to 650 psi only. The bite from the mountain gorillas are fierce; thanks to the large canines the mountain gorillas have, these bites will be much stronger than the bites from crocodiles or lions.How strong are gorillas compared to humans?Did you know that a mountain gorilla can gobble up 75 lb (34 kg) of food just in one day? Well, all that food is adding to the gorilla strength and making a gorilla a strong creature as compared to a human.It is found that the mountain gorillas are the largest surviving or living primates. The silverbacks are recorded to have a very strong power to weight ratio in comparison to other primates. A Silverback which is one of the strongest male gorillas of a troop, can lift a dead weight of 1797 lb (815 kg ). An adult human can lift a dead weight of 904 lb (410 kg) only. Whom do you think would be the stronger competitor if a fight ensues here ? Humans cannot match the gorilla’s strength in the fight for sure.These animals have longer arms than legs, which support a great deal of their body weight. Their arms are designed to be longer than their legs so that they can support their whole body weight. Their arms are definitely longer than that of humans. If a human does carry an activity, they may need 10 times more strength than a gorilla to do the same activity.The Protection of Mountain GorillasThe Gorilla species are also threatened by cruel human activities like poaching and habit destruction for human needs. The gorilla population is seeing a decline over the years around the world. So let us find out how a gorilla, a non aggressive primate from East Africa, survives the challenges of the world?Among all the measures that are in place in East Africa, the conservation of the Virunga National Park stands out to protect a mountain gorilla. An African safari in the wild could help us lift the monotony of life and help fund the protection of these African gorilla species. One may know that Safaris in Africa is a highly promoted activity that is like a diet to the economy of Africa. Protecting the forests and also being stringent in curbing the bushmeat trade has helped protect these animals.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for how strong are gorillas? Then why not take a look at how long do monkeys live?, or Gorilla Facts.
Haven’t we all seen the strong and mighty King Kong in the movies and wondered what this fierce animal is?
