This huge creature is a mountain gorilla. Mountain gorillas live in the Virunga range of mountains, which spans the borders of three African countries - Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. On my trip to the Virunga range I discovered that the forests where the mountain gorillas live are often cloudy, misty and cold.

My data tells me that the gorilla is the largest of the great apes and has a human-like appearance (although more hair!). Gorillas can be identified by their unique nose prints, and like human fingerprints, no two gorilla noses have the same print. Researchers often use photographs of noses to identify and track gorillas.

A gorilla's diet is mainly vegetarian and a full-grown mountain gorilla can eat up to 27 kg of vegetation a day – that's the equivalent of 65 tins of baked beans! An adult male gorilla, which can weigh about the same as a motorcycle is characterised by the streak of silver fur on its back, which gives rise to the term "silverback".

Mountain gorillas typically live in groups with one or two adult males (silverbacks), several younger males (blackbacks), adult females and infants. The dominant silverback takes charge of the group's daily food searches. He also protects the group from danger.

Like humans, gorillas are pregnant for about nine months – the time between these births is usually about four years. Unfortunately, about 40 per cent of young gorillas die before they reach adulthood, because of illness or injury. During their lifetime, females usually raise three young.

Baby gorillas are completely dependent on their mother for care and are carried belly-to-belly for the first few months. At about two months they have usually developed enough strength to cling to their mother's hair unsupported for half a day. Despite being fairly slow developers in the animal kingdom, gorilla babies develop physical skills about twice as fast as human babies.

Sadly, the mountain gorilla is the most endangered of the four different gorilla species. People occasionally kill gorillas for food and baby gorillas are also sometimes captured to be sold as pets. Plus the gorilla's forest home is shrinking as it is cut down to supply wood for the illegal timber trade or to make way for new settlements.

Protecting mountain gorillas is extremely difficult because the area where they live has been a war zone for many years, making it a dangerous place to work. WWF supports rangers in this area who track the gorillas and help to protect them and their forest home. WWF is also helping to crack down on the illegal trade in gorillas.