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Even though it is the largest and most powerful of all primates, the gorilla is a peaceful and gregarious animal. Gorillas live in the wild only in the Zaire River basin. There are two species, the mountain and lowland, and they are separated by about 600 miles. Both species are now recognized as endangered, and are rapidly disappearing as the rainforest are torn down.

Gorillas mate all throughout the year. A female will give birth to a single offspring every fourth year on average. If her child dies in infancy, which is the case 40-50% of the time, she will mate more frequently. A young gorilla remains with its parents until it turns three years old. Gorillas live in groups of 10 to 30 females and their young with one or two mature males, also known as silverbacks. Bachelor gorillas generally live alone, sometimes joining groups for brief periods before leaving again, sometimes taking females with them to start a new group.

Each family group lives within its own fairly small radius, and groups that live in the same area usually coexist peacefully. One way in which gorillas establish bonds is by social grooming, in which they comb each other with their fingers and teeth and remove bugs and the like. Each evening, they build their nests in trees and spend the night. Up until the age of three, young gorillas share their mothers' nests, but the instinct to build one of their own is so strong that most do so at a very early age.

The gorilla is herbivorous and eats fruits, leaves, and stems, and it especially enjoys bamboo shoots. The food it eats usually provides a gorilla with all the water it needs, but if it does not, then the gorilla will dip its hand in water and suck off the droplets that cling to its fur.

The unexpected appearance of a strange male in the group might cause the dominant silverback to put on a warning display. He will hoot, roar, rise to his full height, tear at twigs and branches, and beat his chest with the cupped palms of his hand. He might take a few steps toward the intruder, growling and gnashing his teeth. If this does not scare the stranger away, the silverback might charge while waving his arms and screaming with rage. The charge usually stops short of actual contact: the silverback will simply thrust his face right up into the intruder's, and they will stand nose-to-nose, glaring at each other until one relents and goes away.

A very interesting occurrence in the gorilla tradition of social grooming is that, like in the case of a human massage, the gorilla might go into a trance while being groomed.

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