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Do Gorillas Eat Oranges?

All four subspecies of gorillas (western and eastern lowland, mountain gorilla and the Cross River gorilla) can eat oranges. In fact, some zoos feed oranges to gorillas as part of their regular diets. In the wild, gorillas forage areas for vegetation and insects, as well as fruits if available. Although they must consume large amounts of food daily, they do not over-forage an area, cropping the vegetation in a manner that allows for quick regrowth.

Natural Diet
- Oranges are one of several types of fruits fed to gorillas in zoos.
  
  The natural diet of the western lowland gorilla that inhabits central and western Africa consists of 67 percent fruit. The diet of the eastern lowland gorilla that inhabits central and eastern Africa is primarily vegetation from more than 100 different plants. The mountain gorilla's diet is more than 85 percent vegetation (leaves, roots and stems) with less than 3 percent coming from fruit because fruit does not grow in this gorilla's natural habitat. (The Cross River gorilla has yet to be as extensively studied as the other subspecies of gorilla, though it is known to eat leaves, fruits and invertebrates.
Captive Diet
- Some gorillas will never see a banana in the wild because they do not share the same habitat.
  
  Gorillas that are kept in captivity (zoos) are fed a mixture of fruits and veggies along with 7 to 16 pounds of gorilla biscuits a day depending on the nutritional needs of the specific gorilla. Some veggies that gorillas are fed in captivity include sweet and white potatoes, corn, broccoli, grapefruits and bananas. Because of the availability in captivity, gorillas consume a wide variety of foods without being overfed any one type of food to ensure a balanced diet.
Eating Habits
- Gorillas will saturate the hair on the back of their hand and then suck the water deposits.
  
  Gorillas are very selective eaters and will only eat one or two parts of the vegetation through which they forage, such as the stem, root or pulp. The vegetation gorillas consume contains more than 50 percent of their water intake. As a result, most gorillas rarely "drink" water living in the wild. This percentage may be higher for the mountain gorilla because the bamboo it feeds on is more than 80 percent water.
Considerations
- Gorillas eat a diet similar to the diet suggested for humans by the American Heart Association.
  
  A gorilla's diet is very diverse and healthy because gorillas must change foraging locations as plants and trees change with the seasons. For sources of animal protein, gorillas may eat insects and bugs such as termites, snails, grubs and ants. Additional sources of nutrients include flowers, bulbs, berries and herbs. The diet of the mountain gorilla is being studied to understand the evolution of the human digestive system because of how they depend on plant protein during dryer seasons of the year when fruits are not available.

Animals & Science