Gorilla etiquette

When faced with mountain gorillas, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Never look a gorilla directly in the eye.
• Never mimic a gorilla. You don’t speak their body language and something as simple as an arm raise, might signal something more menacing.
• If you are sick, you shouldn’t visit with gorillas. They are so similar to us genetically, that they can contract our diseases and spread them rapidly throughout their family group.
• Don’t ever piss off the silverback. He’s in charge and will charge you if he feels he, or his family, is being threatened.
• Don’t approach gorillas using walking sticks as poachers once used them as spears, and that has remained in their collected memory. (Walking sticks by the way are highly recommended when tracking the gorillas as they tend to congregate is hard to reach (and very muddy) areas.)
• When filming gorillas, do not use flash as the bright flashes freak them out, and could anger the silverback.
• If you have already forgotten, don’t do anything to piss off the silverback. Think of the silverback as the most ornery, senior member of your family who believes that everything revolves around them. Now add a few hundred more pounds, a ferocious growl, razor sharp teeth and that’s your silverback.
• Don't wear eyeglasses (or sunglasses) that you care about. Gorillas are known to take things off you.
• Try to wear muted colors. Gorillas apparently don't like yellow, but as far as I can tell, this is only speculation.
• I mentioned the silverback, right?