Mountain gorillas friendly with neighbors outside of core home ranges
OCT. 28, 2020 / 8:54 AM
By Brooks Hays
Mountain gorillas are friendly with familiar neighbors in peripheral ranges
outside their core home range, researchers say.
Photo by Philip (Flip) Kromer/Animalia
According to a new study published Wednesday in the Journal of Animal Ecology, mountain gorillas act friendly with neighboring gorillas, as long as they stay out of the "core" parts of their territory.
Mountain gorillas occupy what scientists call a "core home range" and a wider "peripheral" range. The apes organize themselves in close-knit groups -- eating, sleeping and playing within each range.
Sometimes, groups of mountain gorillas split permanently. When they do, closely related gorillas can find themselves living apart after years of companionship.
The latest study showed old friends and relatives recognize one another years later. Researchers found groups of mountain gorillas that once lived together are four times more likely to be friendly with one another, even a decade after a group's split.
More:
https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2020/10/28/Mountain-gorillas-friendly-with-neighbors-outside-of-core-home-ranges/4911603832446/?ur3=1
