King Kong

To prepare for his role as "King Kong," Andy Serkis studied gorillas - and their behavior - at the Dian Fossey Karisoke Research Center in Rwanda. For those of us who must study gorillas at a distance, however, what do we know about these endangered animals (who are sometimes called "gentle giants")?

Scientists at ARKive.org describe them as follows:

The gorilla is a heavily built primate and is the largest of the living apes. Until recently it was considered a single species, but DNA evidence has led to the recognition of the eastern and western populations as distinct species; Gorilla beringei and Gorilla gorilla, respectively. Gorillas have a characteristic body shape with a broad chest, heavy neck and strong hands and feet. They have a fine, brownish coat, which has a red or auburn tinge on the crown, and mature males are known as 'silverbacks' due to the silvery-white saddle of hair extending from the back to the rump and thighs. Male gorillas have a larger skull crest than females and other apes, together with larger canines and a more pronounced ridge above the eyes. Western gorillas are smaller and lighter bodied than eastern gorillas, because they must be agile climbers in order to reach fruits in the trees.

Thanks to the generosity of ARKive, we can view movies of eastern and western gorillas in their own habitat. Let’s take a look. (You need Real Player to see these wonderful movies. Click here for a free Real-Player download if you don't already have it.)

Eastern gorillas:

• Even when they are young, and at play with each other, gorillas beat their chests.
  
• First they pick ants from their fur - then they eat them.
  
• Sometimes too heavy for a supporting branch, a "silverback" senses the best "fix" is to "start again."
  
• A yawning gorilla gives humans a chance to check-out the inside of its mouth.
  
• Stripping bark from a banana tree, to get to its core, produces an excellent snack.
  
• A gorilla mother gently cares for her newborn.

Western gorillas:

• Show who’s "boss" of the territory;
  
• Interact with each other and other animals;
  
• Forage for food and construct a treetop bed - all as part of their daily life.
  
• And - for fun - a “silverback” is not too old to play in the water.

So is it far-fetched that Kong could interact with a human? Dian Fossey, over a number of years, made great progress with gorillas in their natural habitat. And Jane Goodall's amazing work with chimpanzees at Tanzania's Gombe Stream National Park (which includes touching encounters captured on film) cause us to wonder: Might the same thing be possible with a gorilla?

After all, nature itself sometimes seems like science fiction. If the Cordyceps fungus can attack (and then actually grow out of) a jungle-insect’s body (like an ant), who can say what is really possible when two different species interact?