The Grauer’s gorillas

The Eastern Lowland Grauer’s gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri) is one of four gorilla subspecies in Africa. It is endemic to the Democratic Republic of Congo and its social behaviour is not yet scientifically understood. The Kahuzi-Biega national park is one of the sites where this subspecies is conserved. Since 1973, access for tourist and educational visits has been authorised through the habituation of families, including the Chimanuka family. It is currently visited. The objectives were (i) to define the type of social behaviour of the Grauer’s gorilla, (ii) to study the temporal and seasonal fluctuation of the Grauer’s gorilla and (iii) to understand the rhythm of the Grauer’s gorilla’s activities. We used reconnaissance walks, direct observation, scanning and focal animal methods. Social behaviour is of two types: the most common behaviours and occasional behaviours.