Gorillas are not very good jumpers. They don’t typically need to jump since they are excellent climbers and fast runners. Still, a gorilla can jump up between 30 and 48 inches.
Gorillas instead focus on their strength and climbing abilities to survive and find food.
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What Is The Highest A Gorilla Can Jump?
Just because a gorilla doesn’t jump very high, doesn’t mean it won’t jump at all.
The highest a gorilla can jump is about 4 feet or a few inches shorter than their height. Gorillas weigh a lot and the bulk of their strength is in their arms, not their legs.
How Much Can A Gorilla Lift?
Gorillas are impressively strong and can lift up to 1,796.77 pounds.
They are tough animals and are 20 times stronger than humans. For comparison, a well-trained human can lift up to 880 pounds, less than half of what a gorilla can lift.
How much a gorilla can lift though depends on its size. Male gorillas can usually lift more than females. Also, it’s likely that western lowland gorillas can lift more since they are the strongest species.
Can You Outrun A Gorilla?
Despite their size and appearance, gorillas are gentle creatures and rarely attack humans in the wild. Instead, they’ve been recorded protecting young children and injured humans.
But if you are in a situation where the gorilla feels threatened, they aren’t afraid to attack.
Gorillas can charge at their prey or threats at 25 to 32 mph. This is a lot more than humans who on average run 5-6 mph. Even the most trained athletes in the world don’t surpass 10 mph.
How High Can Different Gorilla Species Jump?
The height of their jump and the speed of their run depends on the species. So, how high can each gorilla species jump?
Western Lowland Gorilla
The western lowland gorilla is a widespread subspecies.
You can find these primates all over Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Equatorial Guinea. There are also some populations in isolated swamps and forests in the Republic of Congo.
Western lowland gorillas are slightly smaller than other species of gorillas and have a thick brown-gray coat. Their small size helps them climb and jump.
Western lowland gorillas can jump slightly higher than other species, but an exact number is not recorded.
Sadly, these 4 to 5 feet tall gorillas are critically endangered. The population is unknown but experts believe numbers are declining because of poaching and the spreading of diseases.
Eastern Lowland Gorilla
Eastern lowland gorillas, sometimes also called Grauer’s gorillas, are the largest gorilla species. They are critically endangered and scientists don’t have an estimate for their population.
Eastern lowland gorillas don’t jump very high, and instead, leap to push themselves off the ground or charge at a threat. Although they are larger, eastern lowland gorillas mainly feast on fruits and other plants.
Most eastern lowland gorillas live in Kahuzi-Biega National Park, a protected park. However, poachers and rebels often sneak into the park setting up illegal mines and killing the gorillas.
Mountain Gorilla
The mountain gorilla is native to a small part of Africa. These interesting mammals are large and have a standing height of 4 to 6 feet. They are also very heavy and muscular weighing up to 485 pounds.
Mountain gorillas have an average lifespan of around 35 years in the wild. They are mainly vegetarian, despite their reputation, and are gentle. Mountain gorillas are the most gentle and social gorillas in the world.
Mountain gorillas run 40 mph and rarely jump. Instead, they only jump less than their height and it’s rare. Instead, mountain gorillas focus on climbing.
While they live most of their lives on the ground, young gorillas spend 5-20% of their day climbing trees. Small and lightweight gorillas build nests in trees to sleep.
Are Gorillas Good Climbers?
Gorillas are excellent climbers, but they aren’t as good as monkeys like chimpanzees. Gorillas don’t swing from tree to tree or from branch to branch, but young juvenile gorillas enjoy climbing and setting up nests to sleep.
Gorillas will also climb short distances to reach fruit. However, they typically can reach from the ground since they have a tall standing height.
Young gorillas are playful and full of energy. They swing from lower branches, but this stops as they grow and become too heavy for low branches.
How Strong Is A Gorilla?
Although gorillas are gentle animals, they are also strong. Male silverback gorillas, the leaders of family groups, will attack and defend their homes.
Silverback gorillas are male gorillas that lead their family. When they reach 11 to 13 years old, a strip of silver grows on the back of their bodies.
Gorillas can easily throw other gorillas, picking up items over 1,800 pounds. Even though gorillas eat mainly fruits and plants, they have strong teeth.
Gorilla teeth are more powerful than lion teeth. Their bites can easily cover 1,300 pounds per square inch. Gorillas also have canines that are over 2 inches long.
Final Thoughts
Gorillas are strong animals who can climb, but they aren’t high jumpers. Gorillas are too muscular, jumping up to a few inches less than their height.
While gorillas can’t jump very high, they are excellent climbers and use their tall standing height to reach for fruits and other plant materials.