Do Gorillas Often Climb Trees?

Gorillas live primarily on the ground. They spend only 5-20% of the day in trees, whereas chimpanzees spend 47-61% of the day above the ground and orang-utans almost 100%. But gorillas do like to climb in order to play or to harvest fruit. Almost always they climb quadrupedally; only very rarely they brachiate or jump from branch to branch. Silverback males don't often move above the ground because of their great weight. But even they will climb high into fruiting trees if the branches can carry their weight.

Mountain gorilla in a tree Photo: Jörg Hess