A full-grown male gorilla can weigh up to 200 kilograms — about the weight of two or three average adult humans. Despite their impressive size, gorillas are gentle plant-eaters. They spend most of the day searching for fruits, leaves, stems and bark to munch. They love ripe figs and will travel long distances to find them.
Gorilla families are warm and social. Young gorillas play, wrestle and climb just like children — sometimes even draping themselves over the silverback as he rests. Mothers carry their babies everywhere for the first few months, and babies continue to sleep next to their mothers for several years.
Every night, gorillas build a fresh nest by bending leafy branches together, either on the ground or in low trees. They sleep in a different spot each night. Scientists study these nests to count how many gorillas live in an area without disturbing them. The Republic of the Congo's protected forests are essential to keeping this magnificent animal safe.