How do mountain gorillas communicate?

Mountain gorillas, bonobos, and chimpanzees are close relatives of humans due to their approximately 98% DNA similarity.

Additionally, mountain gorillas are capable of articulating their emotions, desires, requirements, and wants.

They possess the ability to communicate both verbally and nonverbally.

Gorilla communication

Despite the fact that mountain gorillas are unable to communicate, they are able to articulate their emotions in a clear and distinct manner through vocalizations such as hoots, chuckles, grunts, laughter, sticking their tongues out, cries, and purrs.

These sounds and actions are used to convey their emotions, including annoyance, bluster, laughter, joy, anger, dread, impatience, and pleasure.

Mountain gorillas are known to produce sixteen distinct vocalizations, which can be classified into twelve fundamental categories.

Gorillas frequently integrate sounds and actions to facilitate comprehension of their intentions.

For instance, silverbacks will emanate extremely loud hoots, beat their chests, and throw vegetation when they are enraged.

This behavior is employed by mountain gorillas to serve as a warning to their adversaries. If the adversary fails to retreat, it may result in a severe conflict.

Additionally, infant mountain gorillas have their own methods of communication, which their mothers can comprehend and address. Whining and sharp sounds are the primary means of communication for infant gorillas.

Gorillas employ their vocalizations for a variety of purposes, such as conveying social distress, developing social relationships within the troop, grooming, mating, and displaying communication to locate food. Additionally, mothers are responsible for instructing their children in the art of communication.

In certain instances, humans have instructed mountain gorillas to communicate through signs, as evidenced by Koko, a gorilla that researchers trained to communicate through signs.

At a young age, baby mountain gorillas acquire the ability to identify the voices of their mothers and can alert themselves in extremely low tones that are nearly imperceptible to humans in the event of a threat.

Additionally, mountain gorillas possess an acute sense of scent that can serve as an indicator of predators’ proximity.