Gorillas share 98 percent of DNA with human beings. This means that Gorillas and Human beings share many things in Common, for example; forming a well-organized group/ family, both social animals, both constructing shelters and nurturing and caring for their young ones. In this article, let us focus on the nightlife of the Mountain Gorillas, how they sleep, night accommodation and so on. A night gorilla safari in Uganda is still unheard of but here is a glimpse into what gorillas do at night

Gorillas construct shelters just like human being. They construct nests in vegetation branches/ leaves. This is their daily routine. Some gorillas prefer constructing their nests on the group while others on elevated platform. Young gorillas construct day nests where they rest after feeding and playing.

Gorillas change shelters every night. Due to the fact that the constructing materials are ever available, Gorillas decides to construct and sleep in new nests. What is surprising is the speed they use during the construction (5Minutes – 10 Minutes).

Young Gorillas sleep in their mothers’ nests. The mother gorillas spend the nights with their young ones until they produce again. The mothers are responsible for nurturing and caring for young Gorillas however, when the mother die, the male mature gorillas take over the responsibility. Young Gorillas learn skills of constructing nests during day and when the new born arrive, the youth gorillas start constructing and sleep in their own nests.

Gorillas spend 12hrs sleeping in nests. They start preparing for bed time early as they start making their nests before sunsets and by dark, they are already in their beds. Like humans, gorillas stay in their nests the entire night though they sleep a bit longer than people. On average gorillas sleep for about 12 hours each night, they are not early risers.  That is why, gorilla trekking starts at 7:30am with briefing at the park headquarters and at 8am, the trekkers move into the jungles to meet Gorillas when they are a wake.

At around 4years of age, young gorillas start constructing and sleep in their own nests. At that stage, the mother is expected to be with new born babies.

It is not only mountain gorillas that build nests, there are several other primates that build nests too. These include but not limited Bonobos, chimpanzees and orangutans. Nests probably serve to achieve the optimum combination of physical comfort, temperature, and safety against predators and parasites.

Is it Possible To Do A Night Gorilla Trek?

It is not currently possible to gorilla trek at night. All gorilla treks in Uganda and Rwanda are done during the day. If you intend to see gorillas at night, you ought to be part of the research teams in Bwindi impenetrable national park. Outside the research team, it is not possible to interface with the gorillas at night.