Researchers from the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, the University of California Davis , Uppsala University, and the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature observed the behaviour in mountain gorillas in the Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. The animals sat close to the corpses and stared at them, but also sniffed, poked, groomed and licked them. (Image: Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International)Interestingly, the researchers noticed that gorillas that shared close social relationships with the deceased were the ones who spent the most time with the corpse. Meanwhile, Tuck’s son groomed her corpse and even tried suckling from it, indicating his distress. (Image: Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International)As well as teaching us more about their behaviour, the researchers believe the footage could have important implications for gorilla conservation.

Source: Daily Mirror April 04, 2019 10:52 UTC