A cute, young gorilla is very photogenic- I just hope this was okay with the family; particularly the silverback 🦍. This is a #Repost @earth.offline ・・・ 5 facts about GORILLAS 🦍 📖👇🏽 Video by: @bene_deprez ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ECOSYSTEM ROLE → Gorillas play a key role in maintaining the biodiversity of their forest homes by spreading the seeds of the trees they eat and by opening up gaps in the trees as they move around, letting in light and helping sun-loving plants grow. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ REPRODUCTION → Like humans, gorillas reproduce slowly, giving birth to only one baby at a time and then raising that infant for several years before giving birth again. This slow reproduction rate makes gorillas especially vulnerable to any population declines. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ THREATS → Only 17% of the gorilla population currently lives in protected regions, and vast areas of gorilla forest have already been lost. That destruction continues as logging companies clear areas for the timber trade, the mining and oil and gas industries move into gorilla territory, and local people cut down trees to make room for agricultural fields and livestock. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ EBOLA VIRUS → Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a severe, infectious, often fatal disease that has devastated many African great ape populations. Scientists in 2003 estimated that a third of the wild gorilla population had been killed by the Ebola virus, and the species remain at risk. Additionally, because gorillas share so many traits with humans, they are susceptible to other human diseases. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ OUR COUSINS → Gorillas share 98.3% of their DNA with humans, making them our closest cousins after chimpanzees and bonobos. These charismatic, intelligent animals often surprise us with behaviors and emotions so similar to our human experience. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Know anymore interesting facts? Share them below! 😊👇🏽 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #earthoffline #Gorilla #YoungGorilla #Aww #SaveTheGorillas https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxxd-S5Ay3a/?igshid=r05rw27b62t
