Gorillas are very social

An adult male reaches sexual maturity at the age of 12 or 13, at which point it acquires a silver patch of fur on its back. Male gorillas live in groups called "troops", which are typically composed of at least one female and frequently more. Even if younger males are tolerated and permitted to remain in the troop, the silverback mates with every female in the herd. A troop may cover up to 16 square miles (41 square kilometers) of land, and they are known to spend a lot of time wandering, eating, grooming one another, playing, and perhaps even quarreling. The Silverback is in charge of planning the troop's route, mediating disputes between gorillas, locating food, etc. The troop often disperses when the silverback passes away, though occasionally a young silverback will swoop in and assume the dead silverback's position in a troop.

Male Silverback gorillas will risk their lives to protect their troops. There aren't many predators for gorillas; humans are the primary gorilla murderer, though there is some evidence that leopards have also attacked gorillas. Although gorilla remnants have been discovered in leopard scats, it's possible that they came from a leopard scavenging a deceased gorilla.

When a human, an outside gorilla, or another animal threatens a troop of gorillas, the dominant male who is the leader will take the initiative and combat the intrusion. These disagreements are generally resolved by yelling and chest-beating, among other threatening behaviors. Silverbacks are capable of dying in battle, and they do it regularly. When provoked with hostility, other animals often back off to prevent actual physical conflict.