Mountain gorillas are very friendly and gentle animals though they are giant, muscular, intelligent and strong. Gorillas can indeed be trained and they get very close to humans like Dian Fossey who lived with mountain gorillas and had this to say “I feel more conformable being with gorillas than being around people”.
In fact, many gorillas have been successfully habituated to human presence, and can safely be observed in the wild. Gorilla habituation is a long and complex process, but it can result in gorillas that are friendly and used to human beings.
Gorillas are generally known to be gentle, peaceful and friend primates, and that the mere fact that they share 98% of their DNA with human beings only proves that they are more like us. Gorillas are social animals and only become aggressive towards humans when they feel threatened.
Generally, gorillas are very shy and reserved towards people. They will attack only if they are surprised or threatened or if a person behaves in the wrong way. If the human makes an unexpected movement, the silverback male can react with horrific roaring and bluff charges.
If a gorilla moves closer to you, you stay still and let him pass by. If you happen to be standing exactly where a gorilla wants to be, just give him the space and let him move as he likes. If the gorilla approaches you and then sits down, you should slowly move away to resume the 7-meter distance.
A gorilla is faster than most humans and running away will only encourage it to chase after you. Remaining calm and laying low will calm the primate down and stop seeing you as a threat or challenger. Gorillas never continue an attack if you stay calm and act submissive.
Social Interactions. Orangutans are generally non-aggressive toward humans and each other. Many individuals reintroduced into the wild after having been in managed care are aggressive towards humans. Male-male competition for mates and territory has been observed between adults.
Despite their intimidating appearance, gorillas are generally docile creatures, much more gentle than their chimp cousins. They also share 98% of human DNA.
Gorillas communicate in a variety of ways, including facial expressions, sounds, postures and gestures. They have been known to make at least 22 distinct sounds to communicate different feelings, from playful chuckling to frightened screams — even belches of contentment. Gorillas are affectionate creatures.
Highly unlikely, if no firearms or tranquilizer guns are involved. A gorilla can reach speeds of 20 mph to 25 mph. In comparison, Usain Bolt's record in the 100-meter dash roughly translates into 23 mph (Bolt reaches peak speeds of around 27 mph—but still).
Cognition, and empathy
Adult gorillas have been seen destroying snares and poaching traps in the past, but scientists have never seen this kind of activity in gorillas at such a young age. This sighting suggests not only unexpected cognitive skill but also a level of empathy for other animals.
Do gorillas hold grudges? Members within a gorilla group rarely conflict or hold grudges for long like it is with chimp clans. The silverback often intervenes to make peace among the females. Aggression towards other groups is also very rare.
A gorilla would win a fight against a kangaroo.
The gorilla has the weight and power to overwhelm the lighter creature completely. It would use all its weight and power to topple the kangaroo in a bout of extreme violence.
Bonobos are known as the "friendly" apes. Through the use of "bonobo TV," researchers found that bonobos' yawns are contagious, like humans. But while they have humanlike traits, their biggest threat comes from humans. "When the two groups meet, they will not be as aggressive as chimpanzees," Tan says.
Bill Hopkins was a Georgia State graduate student when he first met Kanzi, then a 2-year-old bonobo, 31 years ago. Little did he know Kanzi would grow to become the world's smartest ape, one of only three animals known to communicate feelings, preferences and needs to humans.
Ever since researchers sequenced the chimp genome in 2005, they have known that humans share about 99% of our DNA with chimpanzees, making them our closest living relatives.
A gorilla would win in a fight against an orangutan. Gorillas are far better fighters and far more capable of inflicting fatal trauma on enemies. An orangutan might escape a gorilla by climbing trees, but that is not going to defeat the gorilla.
Due to the much larger evolutionary distance between humans and monkeys versus humans and chimpanzees, it is considered unlikely that true human-monkey hybrids could be brought to term. However, it is feasible that human-compatible organs for transplantation could be grown in these chimeras.
To Mountain Gorillas, anyone who keeps a direct eye contact is a challenger and an enemy who has come to disrupt the family. Direct eye contact will, therefore, trigger the silverback to charge and fight you in defense of his family. If you want peace with Gorillas, therefore, avoid direct eye contact.
Like shy humans, staring directly into the eyes of gorilla make them feel uncomfortable and insecure and when disrupted by your direct eye contact, they can charge aggressively at you to defend themselves.
A crocodile would win a fight against a gorilla. Most of the fights would begin in or near water, and a gorilla doesn't stand a chance in that scenario. If a crocodile bit and dragged the gorilla into the water, then it's a simple victory.
Predators. Leopards and crocodiles are large carnivores which may prey upon gorillas. Humans are the greatest threat to all gorilla populations.
The only predator to prey on gorillas is the leopard. Walter Baumgärtel found the remains of several gorillas after they had been killed by leopards in the Virunga Volcanoes. Another case has been confirmed in Gabon, where a sick young gorilla was killed by a leopard.
Although smiling is often associated with submissive or non-aggressive behavior in gorillas, eye contact is a practice that is discouraged by primatologists, as apes are likely to interpret eye contact as a challenge or a form of aggressive display.