Gorillas have been observed sticking sticks in their mouths and taking deep looks at how to play or cross them. They won’t swim in it, but they will frolic and play in shallow water, especially when they are adolescents. Gorillas can’t swim under normal circumstances.
To learn how to swim, humans also need to start swimming laps again. However, you might have thought that some of the most intelligent land mammals, such as great apes, could swim.
So why can’t gorillas swim?
Biologists have been studying great apes that have found many reasons why gorillas can’t swim. Some of these reasons include.
A gorilla’s body is not built for swimming
Humans and other large primates have the ability to float in water due to the fact that fat is less dense than water. This presence of fat in their bodies facilitates swimming, which is also true for other large primates (including humans).
Gorillas, which can weigh anywhere from 150 to 374 pounds (68 to 170 kilograms), have a unique physique. They are robust and compact creatures, with a few extraordinary individuals tipping the scales at 500 pounds (227 kilograms).
Due to the fact that muscle has a greater weight compared to water, it poses a significant challenge for them to engage in swimming. Similar to humans and other large primates, gorillas lack adipose tissue, which means they do not have any fat. This entails the absence of fat.
If situations compelled a gorilla to swim (if it accidentally fell into the water, for instance), it would submerge, not buoy up.
Their muscles are excessively weighty, thus they lack the buoyancy to remain afloat on the water.
Gorillas lack some motor skills
They lack some fine and gross motor skills. You might have noticed that they don’t move exactly gracefully. If you have seen gorillas walking or running, playing at the zoo, or on TV.
Gross motor skills involve large muscle movements like independent crawling, sitting, walking, or running. Gorillas only develop what they need to survive.
Precise motor abilities are the abilities that involve more delicate muscles, such as grasping items and holding things securely or gently.
Gorillas do not possess the required gross motor abilities to effectively synchronize the motion of their arms and legs, which would assist them in smoothly progressing through the water.
Similarly, they lack the necessary fine motor skills to properly flatten their hands for efficient swimming.
They are unable to execute the correct motions to assist them in swimming, and their hands, arms, and legs are unaccustomed to flexing in the manner required for swimming.
Great apes like chimpanzees and orangutans can be taught to swim because they have a layer of fat that provides enough buoyancy. For example, researchers have observed that they learn to swim by imitating the frog-like motions that carry them through the water.
Are gorillas afraid of water?
Gorillas are cautious around water because they instinctively fear drowning and the lurking presence of predators in the water depths. They don’t like getting wet.
Many animals possess a natural instinct for protection.
Gorillas generally inhabit tropical regions, thus there are numerous predators to be cautious of, such as the aquatic habitat inhabited by crocodiles.
As we are aware, predators such as the crocodile will not hesitate to prey upon any moving object, including juvenile gorillas.
Can any of the great apes swim?
Although this is not universally true, a few monkeys do enjoy swimming. Just like many other animals, not all great apes have an innate ability to swim, therefore they must acquire this skill through learning. Similar to gorillas, the majority of great apes tend to avoid water for similar reasons.
Recently at a zoo in South Carolina, the zoo caretakers successfully trained a orangutan named Suryia to swim.
Currently, she has a great love for the ocean and has conquered her fear of it since she now comprehends how to navigate through it with greater efficiency.
Cooper, the chimpanzee who participated in a study to determine their swimming ability, represents the second instance of a great ape receiving swimming lessons, if chimpanzees were to be taught.
The scientists extended two cables over the most profound areas of the pool to prevent the chimpanzee from submerging.
The cords were set up shortly thereafter, as that appeared to be effective. Cooper ventured into the water because he discovered it was due to his curiosity about the cords.
Cooper swam towards the ropes employing frog-like movements to get a better view and has been swimming continuously ever since.
After Cooper and Suryia grasped the art of swimming and became proficient, they overcame their apprehension of the water.
Researchers also think that anxiety might have lessened because the water is clear and you can see to the bottom, so they don’t need to worry about lurking predators.
Can gorillas be taught to swim?
Will they be able to learn enough skills to overcome their physical limitations, even though they are intelligent? While they may not be able to use it, does that mean they can be taught to swim? Gorillas and other great apes, like them, are highly intelligent and can learn many skills that help them survive in their environment.
Instead, their bodies have evolved to traverse the water without ever requiring contact with it.
They are wary of water, and their physique lacks the buoyancy they would require to stay afloat.
If you ever want to try swimming, it is imperative to float. Your body is not dragged down by the water, so you can keep floating. Gorillas cannot float because their muscles and weight drag their bodies under the water, so it doesn’t matter how they have learned to move and float.
They might stay above the water by using the correct movements, but they will likely be pulled underwater and become tired as their bodies drown.
Can gorillas swim?
Like humans and other big primates, gorillas are not naturally skilled at swimming. They avoid large bodies of water such as deep lakes and rivers.
Young gorillas have been observed splashing and playing in the rain and puddles of water but rarely go willingly into deep water.
If there is an unexpected rainstorm, gorillas will look for nearby shelters or caves until it passes, and they will still sit perfectly and not find any.
Orangutans and bonobos, like other apes, also use big leaves to cover themselves, but gorillas have never been observed doing the same. They don’t get wet either.
If a rainstorm causes the water level to rise quickly, gorillas will need to move and it will take them a long time to find a spot to put the stick in and test the depth of the water.
If the water is shallower than their waist, they will walk through it with their arms raised in the air.
If the water is excessively deep, the gorillas will proceed on foot until they discover a shallow area or an alternate route.
Gorillas will not attempt to cross it because they are aware of the potential risks when the water level exceeds their waist height. If the water is too deep for gorillas to walk through, they are at risk of drowning.