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where do they live?

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Mountain gorillas are found in 3 countries in Africa: Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the africa mapCongo(DR Congo). The gorillas live in a tiny area where these countries' borders meet, which is on the western edge of the East African Rift Valley. Their habitat is only about 780 sq km. This is an area smaller than some individual cities like London, New York City, and Los Angeles!

There are two separate populations of mountain gorillas, each of which live in their own small patch of afromontane forest about 40 km from each other. The forests were once connected. However, it is believed that they became afromontane forest mapseparated about 500 years ago by people clearing the forests for wood and farmland. This area is now occupied by towns, farms, and roads, so it is impossible for the gorillas to migrate between these two islands.

When you think of an island, you think of land that is surrounded by water, right? Actually, an animal’s habitat that is surrounded by unsuitable habitat can be considered an island too. And just like an satellite image of virungasanimal is ‘’trapped” on an island in the ocean, gorillas are not able to leave these small areas of forest that have not yet been cleared by loggers or farmers.

These two islands are different in many aspects, including their origins, soil, plant life, elevation, and endemic species of animals. Because of these differences, especially the vegetation on which the gorillas feed, some primatologists think that they are splitting into two separate subspecies. However, the differences are extremely minor since 500 years of separation is not enough time to evolve different characteristics.

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