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A study was conducted to analyze foods eaten by gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP), Uganda, to assess the amounts of fiber, protein, and sugar, and to determine whether condensed tannis and cyanide were present in these foods. It was observed that the Bwindi gorilla ate foods that contained 2-28% crude protein (CP), 21-88% neutral detergent fiber (NDF), 14-60% acid detergent fiber (ADF), and varying amounts of carbohydrates and moisture, while 35% of the foods analyzed contained condensed tannis.

The bacterial diversity in fecal samples of a wild gorilla is described by using a 16S rRNA gene clone library and terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP). The results have indicated that fecal populations did not change temporarily, as examined by T-RFLP.

The choice of plants in nest sites and individual night nests of a group of gorillas (Gorilla beringei) were investigated in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda. It was found that the gorillas used 62 plant genera in their nests out of a possible 108 plant genera available in the immediate environment in which Pteridium spp. or Mimulopsis spp. were the dominant plants.

A study was conducted to analyze 16S rRNA sequences and selected phenotypic properties for isolated bacteria that have the ability to tolerate high levels of hydrolyzable and condensed tannins. The bacteria were determined from the ruminal contents of animals in various geographic sites. Experimental results indicated that the presence of tannin-tolerant bacteria is not hindered by climate, geography or host animal.

Three novel fluorescent probes were utilized for the analysis of competition experiments with Ruminococcus albus and Finbrobacter succinogenes. Membrane and solution hybridizations with the molecular beacons led to an 80% decease in fluorescence due to the hybridization of the molecular probes with a single mismatched pair. The secondary structure of the ribosomal ribonucleic acid in the hybridization assay also exhibited refolding after the denaturation process.

The contents of the fiber-bound nitrogen are studied to estimate the amount of protein supplied to the mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei) in their diets. The analysis has shown to be extremely helpful in understanding the protein adequacy and protein metabolism of the primates.