Context:
World Gorilla Day recently held on September 24.
Gorillas:
- Largest living primates
- Appearance – Have black hair and skin, large nostrils, and prominent brow ridges.
- Their faces, hands, and feet are hairless, and they have small eyes.
- Species – There are 2 species of gorillas
- Eastern Gorilla – Includes the mountain gorilla as a subspecies.
- Western Gorilla
- Habitat – Tropical forests of equatorial Africa.
- Distribution –
- Eastern gorillas are found in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Republic of the Congo.
- Western gorillas live in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Nigeria.
- The 2 species are separated by the Congo basin forest.
- Genetic Relatives – Gorillas share 98.3% of their genetic code with humans, making them our closest relatives after chimpanzees and bonobos.
- Social Structure – Gorillas are social animals living in family groups called troops.
- They are polygamous, with a single adult male, known as a silverback, leading the troop and mating with multiple females.
- Diet – Vegetarians.
- Conservation Status – “Critically Endangered” under the IUCN.
- Major threats – Habitat loss and fragmentation, disease, hunting, illegal logging, palm oil plantations, and forest fires.
Source: Down to Earth
Previous Year Question
With reference to India’s Desert National Park, which of the following statements are correct?
1. It is spread over two districts.
2. There is no human habitation inside the Park.
3. It is one of the natural habitats of the Great Indian Bustard.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2020 Prelims]
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (c)
Explanation:
Normally human activities are not allowed in National Park but many villagers lived inside Desert National park, and they did not have access to even basic facility like road, electricity and water. In 2017, Supreme Court ordered the government to provide such facilities to them. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
