The gorilla forms kindship bonds which can sustain his close knit family for generations This shy, gentle vegetarian lives in groups headed by a dominant male, a 'silverback' and roams an environment between 9,000 and 13,000 feet above sea level The author worked alone for years, fighting agoraphobia, torrential rains, hail and fog, foot-deep mud, poachers, witchcraft and revolution to gain its acceptance