Can A Gorilla Rip Your Head Off?

The strength of a gorilla is roughly ten times its body weight.

According to some sources, a gorilla can lift anywhere between 4 and 27 times their body weight. However, the most popular number I’ve come across puts a gorilla’s strength at ten times their body weight.

An adult male mountain gorilla with an average of 400 pounds (181 kilograms) could theoretically lift to 4,000 pounds (1,810 kilograms).

But, before we get started, I’d like to clarify something. No one knows how powerful a gorilla is. They haven’t participated in any strongman (ape) competitions. No one has ever pitted a gorilla against a bear (thankfully). This article contains a mix of facts and speculation.

There is a startling lack of reliable data regarding a gorilla’s strength. I’ve compiled a list of facts and some assumptions in this post to start the conversation.

 

Can a gorilla rip your head off?

Yes, if you make them mad. They’re large animals, several times the strength of a human being. Getting too close to an enraged gorilla has resulted in the attack of some humans.

Gorillas can effortlessly kill an unarmed human, yet they rarely, if ever, do so. The ape is fine to graze as long as it is maintained at a safe distance or gorilla social conventions are followed. They’re not violent animals, but they can greatly affect their physical strength when their families are endangered, attacked, or desperate.