This WORLD GORILLA DAY, take a virtual walk through the RAINFOREST and get to know one of our closest ancestors — gorillas.
As powerful and withstanding as gorillas may be, today we pay them special celebration to bring awareness to the fragility of their future. Check out some of our favorite facts about these mighty creatures below — and learn how you can become a guardian of the gorillas, not only on WORLD GORILLA DAY, but everyday.
Gorillas share 98% of our DNA
Research has found that 10 million years ago, humans and gorillas came from a shared ancestor. Though the genes we share with gorillas are nearly identical, some of them function differently. For example, the gene that is linked to heart failure in humans is also present in gorillas. But somehow — it isn't harmful for gorillas. Our similarities also make gorillas susceptible to human illnesses.