If you ever encounter a Silverback Gorilla, its sheer size will force you to keep your distance and simply admire it. These majestic creatures stand six feet tall and weigh up to 350 pounds and despite their mighty strength that is estimated to be 15 times that of an average human, these animals tend to be gentle unless agitated. The silverback, which gets its name from the silver saddle-shaped fur on its back, are mature males that are chosen by the troop as the leader. A video of a gorilla troop crossing a road in africa filmed by a BBC crew depicts the strong instinct of the silverback to protects its family.

In the video, the gorilla troop attempt to cross a road but are unable to do so due to frequent incoming traffic. It is not until after the crew takes matters into their own hands and stops the traffic after 20 minutes does the troop finally emerge from the dense forest. Chimanuka, the silverback leader, walks into the center of the road and freezes in the direction perpendicular to the road to ensure that all the members pass safely. One by one the family members, including mothers with babies clinged onto their back, walk across in single file fashion. Once all the youngsters and females pass, Chimanuka continues onto his path behind his troop, walking slowly to emphasize his dominance to the audience watching. Decades of civil wars, poaching, and habitat destruction has immensely depleted the population of mountain gorillas. With only 880 mountain gorillas left in the wild, the conservation of this species has become paramount.