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An adult male western lowland gorilla sitting on a log and looking at the camera.
Photo: Greg Hume, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Western Lowland Gorilla

Gorilla gorilla gorilla

A critically endangered great ape of Central Africa that lives in small family troops led by a silverback.

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About the Western Lowland Gorilla

Western lowland gorillas live in the Congo Basin of Central Africa, in countries such as Gabon, Cameroon and the Republic of Congo. They eat mostly leaves and stems of herbs, shrubs and vines, plus fleshy fruits. A troop usually has a silverback male, a few adult females and their young, and averages about five gorillas. Every gorilla older than three builds nests: day nests for resting and night nests for sleeping.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Gorilla gorilla gorilla[1]
Size
Males stand up to 6 feet (1.8 m) with an arm span of about 8 feet. Females stand up to 4.5 feet (1.4 m) with an arm span of about 6.5 feet.[1]
Weight
Males: up to 500 pounds (226.8 kg). Females: 150 to 200 pounds.[1]
Lifespan
30 to 40 years in the wild. Into their 50s in human care.[1]
Diet
Mostly herbivore. Eats leaves and stems of herbs, shrubs and vines, plus fleshy fruits.[1]
Where it lives
The Congo Basin, including Gabon, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of Congo.[1]
Group life
Troops with a silverback male, sometimes younger blackback males, several adult females and their young. Western lowland troops average about five gorillas.[1]
Babies
Pregnancy lasts about eight and a half months. Newborns weigh about 4 pounds (2 kg).[1]
Conservation status
Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List, since 2007).[1]

Fun facts

  • Every gorilla over three years old builds day nests for resting and night nests for sleeping.[1]
  • A big male's arm span can reach about 8 feet, wider than he is tall.[1]
  • Gorillas in human care can live into their 50s.[1]

Vocabulary

silverback
An adult male gorilla, named for the silver-gray hair on his back.
troop
A family group of gorillas or other primates.
great ape
A large primate with no tail, such as a gorilla, chimpanzee, bonobo or orangutan.
critically endangered
A conservation label meaning a species faces an extremely high risk of dying out in the wild.
arm span
The distance from fingertip to fingertip when the arms are stretched out wide.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Western Lowland Gorilla.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/western-lowland-gorilla (accessed 2026-10-01)

Facts last checked 2026-10-01.

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