Group size and structure in western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) at Mbeli Bai, Republic of Congo

This paper describes the size and structure of western lowland gorilla groups visiting Mbeli Bai, a swampy forest clearing in northern Congo. An observation platform at the edge of the clearing was used over a 3-yr period, with gorillas visible for 1,681 hr. Data are presented on 14 groups and seven solitary males. Mean group size (excluding solitary males) was 8.4 +/- SD 4.3, and did not differ significantly from most other gorilla studies. All groups at Mbeli contained only one fully mature male and did not show evidence of fission-fusion or regular subgrouping. All emigrating males that remained in the population became solitary, and "bachelor" groups were not observed. Methodological issues are raised, including the classification of multi-male groups, and the demographic profiles of other populations are discussed in the light of results from Mbeli. (C) 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.