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AnimalsTranscript
00:00 Gorillas are undoubtedly one of the most fearsome primate species out there in the wild.
00:08 Their ferocity is well known in the jungles of Central Africa, often being described as
00:13 violent psychopaths, and rightfully so.
00:16 These animals are very aggressive, with the tendency to attack other creatures without
00:20 any provocation, and due to their sheer strength and violent behavior, an animal rarely lives
00:25 to see another day after facing a gorilla.
00:29 So which animals would dare go against a gorilla, and what exactly causes these huge apes to
00:34 suddenly lash out as brutal killers?
00:37 Stick around as we look at Brutal Moments Where Gorillas Attacked Their Opponents.
00:47 Gorillas are social creatures.
00:49 They typically live in family units called troops, which can range in size from 5 to
00:54 30 members.
00:55 They maintain strong bonds with each other and have incredibly complex social dynamics.
01:00 However, the gorillas do not hesitate to turn against other members of their troop if they
01:04 feel threatened.
01:05 In the Ugandan mountains, a young silverback bullies a blackback.
01:10 Upon hearing the cries of the smaller ape, the dominant silverback of the group along
01:14 with other apes run up to the aggressor and teach it a lesson.
01:18 Adult male gorillas develop a silver section of hair over their back and hips, earning
01:22 them the name "Silverback".
01:24 These imposing apes possess 10 times the strength of an average human.
01:28 They are capable of bending iron bars, tearing down banana trees, and they even have a stronger
01:33 bite force than a lion.
01:35 Despite their tremendous capabilities, silverbacks are generally less aggressive than other males
01:40 of the troops.
01:41 Two enormous gorillas, one of them being a silverback, fight furiously and attempt to
01:47 bring the other down.
01:48 The silverback obviously has the upper hand when it comes to size, but the blackback is
01:53 more aggressive in the battle.
01:55 Gorillas are intelligent creatures that can use tools, communicate with humans with sign
01:59 language, and even keep themselves entertained with objects.
02:02 A recent study conducted by scientists has shown that some wild gorillas develop the
02:07 ability to craft tools in order to complete everyday tasks more efficiently.
02:11 That's pretty impressive, but like humans, their intelligent capabilities are often clouded
02:16 by their violent behavior.
02:19 Gorillas can become enraged for no apparent reason.
02:21 Two silverback gorillas duke it out.
02:24 The fight is short yet quite aggressive.
02:27 The attacker is the loser in this fight, as the other silverback proved to be more formidable.
02:33 Despite their size, gorillas are vegetarians with a diet composed mostly of stems, bamboo
02:38 shoots, and fruits, but some may snack on a few termites and ants as well.
02:43 Knowing this, it's pretty surprising how well they are able to maintain their massive,
02:47 muscular figure.
02:53 Here are some of the strongest animals in the wild.
03:19 Geese become violent because they dislike sharing
03:48 their territory with humans and other animals.
03:51 Plus, they are protective of their young.
03:53 There is a reason why geese have a poor reputation.
03:56 They have the capacity to turn vicious and occasionally even badly hurt others.
04:01 This bravery even extends to facing beasts like gorillas.
04:05 A gorilla gets bullied by a goose in its enclosure.
04:09 The goose reacts violently to the gorilla, defending its mate.
04:13 Certainly goes to show that no matter how dangerous their opponents are, geese aren't
04:17 ones to back down easily.
04:20 Silverbacks have been observed to deliberately kill babies, especially in mountain gorillas.
04:25 Usually this is the case after a female is transferred to another male, together with
04:29 her baby, or if a new leading male takes over.
04:32 This behavior is called infanticide.
04:34 It is a means to shorten the time until the baby's mother becomes fertile again so that
04:39 the new male can sire his own offspring with her.
04:42 A silverback assaults a mother gorilla with her baby.
04:46 Luckily, other gorillas in the enclosure come to the rescue of the mother.
04:50 With their combined might, they were able to hold back the rampaging male.
04:55 When people approach a gorilla troop, the leader of the troop needs to be "informed"
04:59 so as not to surprise him.
05:02 Gorillas need to be habituated to people slowly, and only when habituated will they accept
05:06 humans as visitors.
05:08 But often times, when a silverback meets another competing male, his behavior can be extremely
05:14 hostile.
05:15 In a completely one-sided confrontation, an angry silverback attacks another gorilla.
05:21 The attacker throws some heavy blows which causes its target to retreat.
05:25 But the instigator is not done, as it chases the other silverback down and continues the
05:30 beatdown.
05:32 Wildlife crime is a major issue impacting some of the planet's most vulnerable species,
05:36 including gorillas.
05:38 The illegal trade of gorillas and other great apes is unfortunately rampant across central
05:42 Africa.
05:43 This illicit market has had costly consequences for gorilla conservation, but it's not all
05:48 doom and gloom.
05:49 Luckily, many organizations are working on this issue.
05:52 Let's take a step back and observe a much more peaceful side of these animals.
05:57 A gorilla attempts to wake an injured bird.
06:01 The significantly larger creature carefully nudges the bird, hoping it will fly again.
06:07 Gorilla males possess sharp canines and impressive strength, making them formidable fighters.
06:13 However, most disputes are typically resolved through displays of threat behavior, such
06:17 as chest beating and hooting, rather than physical aggression.
06:20 This behavior is particularly prevalent among silverback males.
06:24 A playful infant gorilla attempts to play with its larger sister, which responds by dragging
06:29 the infant along the ground, possibly causing harm.
06:33 The larger gorilla continues to harass the young gorilla until the mother arrives to
06:38 break it up.
06:39 When a group of gorillas is threatened, the group's individuals act differently.
06:44 Silverback males emit a very strong odor and make distinctive noises.
06:48 The other animals gather and hug each other, surrounding the male.
06:52 Adult males are responsible for defending their group from attacks and positioning themselves
06:56 between the attacker and the group.
06:58 And the source of danger here is none other than a snake.
07:02 This tiny little snake has the entire troop rallied up in a frenzy.
07:07 All of the members of the troop, including the dominant male, gather together to investigate
07:11 the ruckus.
07:13 Playing is a crucial aspect of gorilla social life, which mainly consists of wrestling.
07:18 During this activity, gorillas may hug, hold onto each other, bite, hit, push, and pull
07:23 one another to the ground.
07:25 The more intense the wrestling match, the more vocalizations such as laughing, grunting,
07:30 moaning and panting are heard.
07:32 Young males engage in these games much more often than any other age group.
07:36 It isn't clearly evident here whether the gorillas are engaging in a harmless wrestling
07:39 play or if it's something much more serious.
07:43 One of the young gorillas seems to be held to the ground by another gorilla when a silverback
07:47 joins in on the action.
07:50 Gorillas can make 16 different kinds of calls, from low growls to high-pitched screams.
07:59 These vocalizations are used for various situations, from expressing alarm and curiosity or getting
08:05 the group's attention to marking territory and intimidating rivals.
08:09 Not only do male gorillas roar and hoot when looking for a mate or threatening rivals,
08:16 but they also give out short barks when mildly alarmed or curious.
08:24 In the video, it's a silverback versus other members of the troop.
08:28 It attacks an infant, infuriating the other gorillas, who then start following it in a
08:34 fit of rage.
08:35 The others are more inclined to protect the young, unlike a silverback.
08:40 Both eastern and western gorillas are critically endangered, but they face different types
08:44 of threats.
08:46 Human activity, which can disrupt their environment and even the mere presence of humans, can
08:50 pose a danger to gorillas.
08:52 Even in protected areas like the Virunga Volcanoes, gorillas are frequently disturbed by human
08:57 activities.
08:58 So, to preserve their species, gorillas are often kept in enclosures.
09:03 But that often comes down with its own share of issues, such as two competing silverbacks
09:07 fighting to the death over limited territory.
09:10 The brawl between these two gorillas is truly a sight to behold, as they grab and bite each
09:16 other furiously.
09:17 One of them even grabs the leg of its opponent and trips him.
09:21 There can only be one dominant male, and both are determined to make the other a follower.
09:26 An adult male gorilla is believed to consume about 30 kilograms of plants daily, while
09:31 adult females eat around 18 kilograms.
09:34 Gorillas have powerful chewing muscles to help them digest this large diet.
09:38 Their teeth are similar to human teeth, but adult male gorillas have long, pointed canines
09:43 that they use for fighting rather than eating.
09:46 The next clip shows two gorillas brutally beating another gorilla at the San Diego Wild
09:51 Animal Park.
09:52 The adult silverback pins one of the fighters to the ground.
09:55 The gorilla soon breaks free and focuses its attention on the silverback.
10:01 Adult gorillas, as ferocious and deadly as they can be, are often observed to flee from
10:05 fights with females or even young males.
10:08 Researchers are not exactly sure why they do this, but some of them speculate that they
10:12 often flee from fights so as not to hurt their troop members, especially the females.
10:18 A huge silverback takes a smaller gorilla by the leg, spins it upside down, and then
10:23 smashes it on the ground.
10:25 After the vicious act, the silverback flees from its initial victim, probably because
10:30 he didn't want to hurt the young gorilla anymore.
10:34 Gorillas and monkeys often share their habitat and even eat some of the same plant species,
10:39 making them competitors.
10:40 This is particularly obvious when the fruit ripens and both species are attracted to the
10:44 same tree.
10:46 The two species usually try to avoid each other, but sometimes they feed peacefully
10:50 together in the same tree.
10:51 Here, a little gorilla challenges a monkey to a play fight.
10:55 The monkey does not let the little one bully it as it fights back against the ape.
11:00 The little ape has already begun practicing and refining its fighting skills, skills that
11:04 will prove to be useful in the future.
11:07 While you're here, go ahead and click one of these two videos on your screen.
11:10 We'll see you there!