Diet of Grauer’s Gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri) in a Low-Elevation Forest

Grauer's gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri) in low-elevation forests, primarily studied in highland habitats, exhibit a diverse diet dominated by vegetative plant parts, particularly from Marantaceae and Fabaceae families, with fruit consumption peaking during the wet season. A study in the Nkuba Conservation Area (NCA), Democratic Republic of Congo, recorded over 10,500 feeding signs across 100+ species between 2014-2020, revealing a diet distinct from highland populations but similar to lowland gorillas and western lowland gorillas. The research highlights the importance of community-based conservation efforts in protecting unhabituated gorilla populations.

van der Hoek, Y., Pazo, W. D., Binyinyi, E., Ngobobo, U., Stoinski, T. S., & Caillaud, D. (2021). Diet of Grauer’s Gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri) in a Low-Elevation Forest. Folia Primatologica, 92(2), 126–138. https://doi.org/10.1159/000515377