A gorilla may vocalize loudly and pound, jump or slap the ground if angry. Gorillas that are curious will just grab or tug your clothes. Gorillas hate looking directly into their eyes, so try as much as possible to look away.
Gorillas show their signs of anger by throwing vegetation, making loud hoots, thumping the ground, beating their chests loud, moving on two legs and so much more.
Like humans or other wild animals, gorillas do get aggressive. However, they do so only when they feel threatened or when a silverback from another group attempts to steal one of the females. Gorillas will first attempt to warn off an intruder by making loud grunts and tearing down vegetation.
When two gorilla groups meet, the group leaders often fight; silverbacks have also been known to kill gorilla babies after taking over a gorilla group. Such aggression occurs more frequently with higher population densities (learn more here).
TIP 1: If you happen to look into the eyes of a gorilla, take a quick moment to fully enjoy the experience, but then immediately take your gaze off the gorilla's eyes and look down. This signals to the gorilla that you are not a threat and that everyone can relax.
Predators. Leopards and crocodiles are large carnivores which may prey upon gorillas. Humans are the greatest threat to all gorilla populations.
However, it's important to remember that they are still wild animals and should be treated as such. One of the main ways to show respect for gorillas is to avoid making direct eye contact. In the wild, gorillas use eye contact to assert dominance and Challenge other members of their group.
Gorillas can also get angry when you look at them directly with eye contact, for unknown reasons they will think your challenging them and will start showing signs of charging. Even screaming in the direction of mountain gorillas in their natural habitat makes them get angry.
Although smiling is often associated with submissive or non-aggressive behavior in gorillas, eye contact is a practice that is discouraged by primatologists, as apes are likely to interpret eye contact as a challenge or a form of aggressive display.
Certain reptiles such as chameleons and caterpillars are what are gorillas scared/afraid of. They are also afraid of water and will cross streams only if they can do so without getting wet, such as by crossing over fallen logs, and dislike rain.
Tourists must keep a close distance to each other while with the gorillas; being scattered will not be allowed. You will be allowed to ask your guides questions but the voices must be kept low at all times. You will not be allowed to touch gorillas, this are wild no domestic animals.
To Mountain Gorillas, anyone who keeps a direct eye contact is a challenger and an enemy who has come to disrupt the family. Direct eye contact will, therefore, trigger the silverback to charge and fight you in defense of his family. If you want peace with Gorillas, therefore, avoid direct eye contact.
“Smiling” and Yawning
This is a sign of submission or appeasement and is thought to be tied to the origins of human smiling. Gorillas, particularly males, may also reveal their teeth through yawns.
Walk away steadily: When the gorilla is charged, you are advised not to run away because the gorilla will run after you and attack you rather you are advised to create distance between you and the gorilla without making sudden movements, step back slowly and get off the scene.
Gorillas are gentle giants and display many human-like behaviors and emotions, such as laughter and sadness. In fact, gorillas share 98.3% of their genetic code with humans, making them our closest cousins after chimpanzees and bonobos.
These gorillas demonstrate some abnormal behaviors; behaviors that are not seen with regularity in the wild. These behaviors include regurgitating and then re-eating consumed foods and eating feces.
They are unaggressive and even shy unless provoked. They are calmer and more persistent than chimpanzees; though not as adaptable, gorillas are highly intelligent and capable of problem solving.
For yet unknown reasons, Mountain Gorillas tend to naturally be afraid of certain insects and reptiles. Infants Gorillas, whose naturally chase upon anything that moves as they play, commonly avoid Chameleons and Caterpillars within their environment.
No, an unarmed human being could not beat a gorilla in a fight. Simply put, gorillas are far too strong for human beings to overcome. If the human sees the gorilla first, the best the human could hope for is finding a nearby place to hide. When threatened, gorillas have viciously thrashed and mauled humans.
So now, you've got a gorilla who most likely can catch up to all but the most elite sprinters on the planet. Conclusion: You're not outrunning the gorilla. The average gorilla is approximately six to 15 times as strong (depending on who you ask).
The larger male apes have lower frequencies in their pounds and may use chest-beating to signal their social status, strength, and size to others.
There have been few cases where gorillas attacked and even killed humans, although such incidents are rare and the human was always to blame. Gorillas can attack if surprised or threatened or if a person behaves in the wrong way in front of them or makes an unexpected movement.
Ian Redmond of Ape Alliance worked with Fossey in Rwanda for three years in the 1970s, and still works with gorillas. He says there have been cases where gorillas attacked and even killed humans, but such incidents are rare – and the human was always to blame.