I’ve asked this a lot while staring at a giant silverback: do they eat meat? Short answer: not really. Long answer: they eat plants, tons of them, and a pinch of bugs here and there. No hunting. No steak nights. Let me explain.
For a deeper scientific overview, check out a comprehensive guide that directly asks and answers the same question over at EnviroLiteracy.
For the unabridged field notes and photo logs, check out Do Gorillas Eat Meat? My Hands-On Take where I break everything down day by day.
What I actually saw
I’ve spent slow, happy afternoons at Bronx Zoo’s Congo Gorilla Forest. One time, a female sat with a rotten log and pried it open with calm hands. She licked along the wood, like the world’s quietest taste test. Keepers said that’s common—ants and termites hide in soft wood. It’s a bonus snack, not the main meal.
At Zoo Atlanta, I watched a silverback mow through romaine, endive, and a whole armload of fresh browse. Big jaw. Big crunch. Zero meat. A keeper did a quick talk and said they don’t serve meat to gorillas. Their “protein” comes from plants (and sometimes tiny insects they find while foraging).
On a rainy day, I rewatched BBC’s Gorilla Family & Me. Every scene shows leaves, shoots, fruit, stems—food you’d call salad, but with more chew. No hunting scenes. Not even close.
What the science folks say (in plain words)
- Main menu: leaves, stems, shoots, bark, and fruit. Western lowland gorillas eat more fruit when it’s ripe. Mountain gorillas eat more leaves and bamboo shoots.
- Bugs? Yes, sometimes. Ants and termites show up in their poop—tiny bits, not piles. It’s like sesame seeds on a bun. There, but not the bun.
- Meat? Not as a habit. Gorillas don’t hunt monkeys like chimps do. There are rare, odd notes of gorillas tasting animal bits, but it’s not normal, and it’s not a thing keepers feed them. If you’re curious what sampling a truly wild protein is like, you can peek at my taste-test of squirrel meat—let’s just say gorillas would politely decline.
- In zoos, the menu is pretty boring in a good way: leafy greens, veggies, seasonal fruit, high-fiber primate biscuits, and loads of browse (twigs and leaves). No meat patties hiding in there.
- Researchers have even found genetic evidence of occasional monkey consumption in wild gorilla feces, a discovery documented by National Geographic, underscoring how uncommon yet possible these incidents are.
So… do they eat meat?
If you mean “Do they hunt animals and eat them?” No. If you mean “Do they ever swallow animal stuff?” Yes, but it’s small—mostly ants or termites they pick up while peeling wood or grazing. Think tiny. Think accidental or seasonal. It’s not what makes a gorilla big and strong. Plants do that job.
Little moments that stuck with me
- A young male at the Bronx exhibit sat with bamboo shoots and peeled them like a kid with string cheese. He left a neat pile of skins. The only “meat” near him? An ant that walked across his hand. He ignored it.
- At a keeper chat in Atlanta, someone asked, “Do you ever give them chicken?” The keeper smiled and said, “Nope. Gorillas get what their guts are built for. Plants.” Simple. Clear.
- A field talk about Dian Fossey’s work mentioned how much time gorillas spend feeding. Hours. Chewing leaves takes time. Hunting would be a detour they don’t need.
Why people get confused
They’re huge, so folks think “big body equals big meat.” But gorilla guts are great at breaking down plants. Fermentation in their bellies turns fiber into fuel. It’s nerdy, but it’s true: a salad can power a giant, if the giant is a gorilla.
Carnivores like our domestic pups operate on a totally different playbook, as I found while hunting down the best meat for dogs.
For an entertaining comparison of true meat-centric diets (and why they don’t apply here), swing by Hats of Meat for some eye-opening facts.
My verdict (like a tiny review)
- Meat: not part of the plan.
- Bugs: sure, a bit—ants and termites, here and there.
- Real diet: plants, plants, and more plants. Leaves, shoots, fruit, bark.
Would I bet lunch money on a gorilla choosing a steak over bamboo? Not a chance.
Quick FAQ, because someone will ask
- Do gorillas need meat? No. Their bodies are made for plants.
- Do they ever taste meat? Rarely noted, not routine, and not something zoos serve.
- Are they like chimps with hunting? No. Chimps hunt. Gorillas don’t.
You know what? Watching them eat is calm. It’s like a slow forest rhythm—chew, pause, chew. No chase. No drama. And somehow, that feels right for them.
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