The Eastern Gorilla, often called silverbacks for the hair on
their back that turns silver during maturity, is one of the most
interesting creatures on the face of the planet. Often the product
of the belief that they are dangerous and violent this completely
defies their true nature of being gentle giants. They were first
discovered by a Carthaginian explorer sailing along the west coast
of Africa nearly 2,500 years ago. There he learned the word gorilla
from the locals who called it this term which meant “hairy person”.
Since then gorillas have been all over Africa, Asia, and Europe for
millions of years. Now they are an endangered species that has been
forgotten about by most of the world except for when they think of
big lurking mammals that should be feared. When in actuality the
gorilla is an undeniably remarkable animal that should be preserved
and appreciated. So, sit back and flip through this site and learn
more about the wonders of the world of the Silverback Gorilla,
Gorilla beringei. |