How Do Gorillas Sleep? Sleeping Nests & Patterns

How do Gorillas Sleep? Gorillas sleep in Nests. Nests are made by either the mothers or males in the Gorilla group. They can build them up in the trees or the ground depending on how safe the area is.

Gorillas do not sleep in the same nest twice; they will possibly set up a new nest just a few feet away from where they previously nested the night before. Gorillas are nomads, they are constantly moving from one place to another according to the availability of vegetation and fruits.

For the most part, Mountain gorillas will build nests to sleep in at night but on rare occasions, they build nests for midday naps and rests during the course of the day especially for the younglings.

Young ones do not participate in nest building. Usually, they sleep in the same nests with their mothers until she reproduces again which would be in about 4 years. The young gorillas will learn how to make nests by watching their mothers every day or even trying out during the day over the watch of their parents.

Gorillas, much like humans sleep all night. However, they can go for long hours of sleep – about 12 hours sleeping. They normally set up nests close to the sunset (evening hours) to ensure they are safe inside the sleeping areas by the time it gets dark.

The nests are built using the materials around them. They are built in a circular way with branches, leaves and bushes. The process of looking for a safe area and setting up the nest is not easy and yet the Gorillas have to do it on a daily basis.

With tree nests, the structures have to be set up putting into consideration the weight of the gorillas. This is one of the reasons it is believed that the female gorillas sleep in the trees (they are lighter in weight) while the males sleep on the ground. The other reason is security. The silverbacks are more likely to sleep on the ground to protect the group against any possible threats.

On your Gorilla trekking Safari in Bwindi National Park or Mgahinga, you will able to see all these nests which actually do help in tracking the movement of different gorilla families.

Related articles:

Here are some related articles about mountain gorillas that will help you learn more about these incredible gentle giants.

• 25 fun facts to know about mountain gorillas
• Why are gorillas endangered? The threats to their livelihood and survival
• What do mountain gorillas eat? The diet and ‘table’ manners of gorillas in the wild
• Gorillas Safaris. An extensive introduction to everything you should know about seeing gorillas in Uganda/Rwanda