- A 20-year study of wild mountain gorillas in Rwanda revealed that female gorillas do not disperse randomly when moving between social groups.
- Female gorillas actively avoid males they grew up with when relocating, likely to prevent inbreeding.
- Instead, they seek out other females they have previously known, especially those they have spent at least five years with or seen within the last two years.
- This preference for familiar females helps ease the transition into a new group by providing a social ally and potentially indicating positive aspects of the new group.
- The research suggests that gorillas, much like humans, maintain significant social relationships that extend beyond immediate group boundaries, highlighting the importance of extended social networks.
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