Before reaching this stage, males are known as blackbacks — too old to be juveniles but not yet dominant adults.
Silverbacks are much larger than females and other males in the group, sometimes reaching up to 270 kg (595 lbs). They have massive builds, large heads, and long, muscular arms that allow them to lift or throw over 800 kg — more than 9 times stronger than an average human adult.
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Gentle giants with fierce loyalty
Despite their immense size and strength, silverbacks are usually calm and non-aggressive. They lead through dominance, not violence. However, when threatened — by a rival male, a predator like a leopard, or even an unfamiliar human — the silverback will first attempt to scare the intruder away.
This involves a dramatic chest-beating display, tearing foliage, vocalisations, and mock charges. If intimidation fails, the silverback will attack with force, often risking his life to protect infants and females.
Because of their role as protectors, poachers often target silverbacks first when attempting to capture young gorillas — one of the most brutal and tragic threats facing wild populations.
What do silverbacks eat?
Despite their strength, silverbacks are primarily herbivores. They feed on leaves, shoots, fruit, bark, stems, fungi, and sometimes termites or ants. Their diet varies by season and region. Mountain gorillas, for instance, eat more fibrous plants due to limited fruit availability in high-altitude habitats.
Gorillas rarely drink water directly. Instead, they get hydration from their moisture-rich plant-based diet and early morning dew.
Tool users and social communicators
Silverbacks have shown signs of advanced intelligence, including the use of tools. They’ve been seen testing water depth with sticks and using branches to forage more efficiently. Gorillas communicate using a repertoire of over 25 vocal sounds, facial expressions, and body postures.
Each individual can also be identified by unique nose wrinkle patterns, similar to human fingerprints — a method used by researchers to track and monitor populations.
Where to see them in the wild
Today, gorilla trekking offers travellers the opportunity to observe silverback gorillas in their natural forest homes. Destinations include Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and the Virunga Mountains in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Permits are required and treks can be physically demanding, but the chance to spend one hour with a wild gorilla family is considered one of the world’s most profound wildlife encounters.
Critically endangered and under pressure
Despite global awareness and conservation success stories, all gorilla subspecies are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Population estimates indicate around 300,000 western lowland gorillas, 5,000 eastern lowland gorillas, 1,000 mountain gorillas, and fewer than 400 Cross River gorillas remain in the wild.
Major threats include habitat loss, human disease transmission, and poaching — especially of dominant silverbacks, which are often killed to capture infants for the illegal wildlife trade.