Home » Biggest/Largest Gorilla ever recorded
The biggest gorilla ever recorded wasn’t your average tree-hugger. This beast stood chest-to-chest with nature’s gym trainers and didn’t blink. Titus was the most significant and largest gorilla ever recorded. This massive gorilla was born on 24th august 1974 and unfortunately died on 14th September 2009.
Titus – the giant silverback was a mountain gorilla that lived in the famous Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
He weighed in at 267 kilograms and stood about 1.95 meters tall when upright. That’s roughly twice the weight of the world’s strongest person. He was a mountain gorilla, and surprisingly not the largest of all gorilla subspecies.
It’s appropriate to understand that the most giant gorillas ever lived are Eastern lowland gorillas that are commonly found in the Kahuzi Biega National Park, located in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Just like their other counterparts, Mountain gorillas are equally massive though mostly not comparable to their closest subspecies. Average male mountain gorilla weighs around 160 kg. Their bodies are mostly made of pure muscle, bone, and attitude.
Giant silverback gorilla
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For context, here’s how the big gorillas compare:
Gorilla Subspecies | Average Male Weight | Max Recorded Weight | Height Upright |
Mountain Gorilla | 140–160 kg | 267 kg | 1.95 m |
Eastern Lowland | 140–200 kg | 250+ kg (estimated) | 1.85 m |
Western Lowland | 140–180 kg | 220+ kg | 1.80 m |
Cross River Gorilla | ~160 kg | Less documented | ~1.75 m |
Eastern lowland gorillas have also had some heavyweight candidates, especially in remote areas with fewer eyes and fewer scales. But none have been officially recorded heavier than Gargantua.
Giant silverback gorilla found in Kahuzi Biega National Park
The heaviest gorilla ever recorded was an Easter Lowland gorilla that lived in Cameron. This giant ape was a 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) silverback shot in Ambam, Cameroon, which weighed 267 kg (589 lb). However, generally male gorillas in captivity tend be overweight and reach weights up to 310 kg (683 lb).
Gigantopithecus, is the largest gorilla of all time that ever lived. Standing at 9 ft. tall, and weighing nearly 700 lb. This giant gorilla – Gigantopithecus was the largest ape of all time.
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The oldest gorilla that ever lived is a female gorilla called Fatou, aged 68 years (born on 1st January 1957). Fatou is the oldest gorilla ever; oldest female gorilla ever; oldest living gorilla overall and oldest living female gorilla.
Prior to Fatou, the oldest male gorilla that lived was Ozoum, who reached to the final age of 61 years, 24 days.
As you can see, the gorilla lifespan is close to that of humans.
So next time someone brags about lifting weights, ask if they can bench-press a gorilla. Then show them a picture of the biggest one ever recorded. That ends the conversation.
It’s without a doubt that gorilla safari is an exciting adventure that will take you to sightsee these giant apes in their wild habitat up close. If you need help arranging this life-changing adventure, get in touch and we shall be able to craft an adventure of a life-time together.
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