G o ril l a O bse r va tion
For this exercise, you’ll need to observe some gorillas! If you can, head over to the Louisville Zoo
and observe the gorillas in the award-winning Gorilla Forest exhibit. You can also watch videos of
gorillas for this exercise.
Instructions: Find ONE individual gorilla. Observe him/her for up to 15 minutes. Record the
behaviors of your gorilla during each five minute interval. If your gorilla is exhibiting a behavior
from the chart, mark an “X” for that behavior during that interval. Your gorilla may exhibit more
than one behavior during that time — mark all of the behaviors for that interval with an “X.”
Inactive
Charging
or
Strutting
Grooming
Knuckle-
Walking
Yawning
Chest
Beating
Slapping
the
Ground
Minutes
1 – 5
Minutes
5 – 10
Minutes
10 – 15
D id
y o u see t he go ri l l a …?
Charging or strutting past
another gorilla?
A gorilla may try to intimidate another gorilla
by running past at an angle. If a silverback
male (the head of the family group) really
wants to look threatening, he’ll strut about
with an exaggerated stiff-legged walk.
Groom another gorilla?
Gorillas may use their fingers or lips to
examine and clean another gorilla’s hair, nails
and so on. Most often, this is sign of bonding
between mother and child or between female
and silverback.
Knuckle-walking?
Gorillas walk quadrupedally (on all fours)
using their knuckles though occasionally you
may see them walk on their hind legs.
Beating their chest?
Rapid chest-beating means the gorilla
is excited, alarmed, frustrated or angry.
Sometimes, young gorillas do this as a form
of play!
Slapping the ground?
Striking the ground with one or both hands is
a way of threatening another gorilla.
Did you know? The Louisville Zoo donates 25 cents from every general
admission ticket sold and one dollar from every Zoo membership to
wildlife conservation partners. Contributions aid field conservation
efforts, species recovery, habitat preservation and many other
important species-focused conservation efforts at home and globally.
So, every time you visit the Zoo, you are helping animals!