On June 25, 2022, scientists confirmed what mountain gorilla conservation in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda can tell us about protecting other species. Today’s species are currently dying far more rapidly than is usual in evolutionary history.
The world’s mountain gorillas are going extinct. Recently, Sir David Attenborough remarked that his 1979 famous meeting with a family of mountain gorillas had been “laced with grief.” He claimed it was one of his most treasured memories, but he was concerned he might have encountered “the last of their kind.”
Sir David knows that some species go extinct as others evolve. According to scientists, the rate of species extinction is at least 100 times higher than it should be. They warn that a global extinction event on an equal scale to the catastrophe that took out the dinosaurs is currently taking place.
Mountain gorillas have the same problems as endangered species: farmers were destroying their habitat, conservation efforts were being delayed, and they were killed by poachers. But 40 years later, the population has increased and is still rising. An improvement is the species’ status, which is “endangered.” There has been a mini-baby boom during the past few years. A surprising five mountain gorilla children were born in Bwindi in the latter part of 2020. In total, only three babies were born in 2019.
However, talks in the UN this year plan to slow the extinction tide to a standstill. To restart the negotiations, representatives will gather in Nairobi. By 2030, at least 30% of the land and oceans are to be protected, according to one of the 21 goals that have been set. The objective is to create a framework for a worldwide pact under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity that nations will sign in October. To “live in harmony with the environment” by 2050 is the idea.
The question for the world is how much energy and resources we are willing to put into the effort to protect biodiversity. Elizabeth Mrema, UN’s head of biodiversity, issues a stark warning: “We’ve been told by scientists we only have this century to solve the biodiversity crisis. There is no planet B,” she says. “Tourism really does help wild animals if it is done right.”
The world’s mountain gorillas are going extinct. Recently, Sir David Attenborough remarked that his 1979 famous meeting with a family of mountain gorillas had been “laced with grief.” He claimed it was one of his most treasured memories, but he was concerned he might have encountered “the last of their kind.”
Sir David knows that some species go extinct as others evolve. According to scientists, the rate of species extinction is at least 100 times higher than it should be. They warn that a global extinction event on an equal scale to the catastrophe that took out the dinosaurs is currently taking place.
Mountain gorillas have the same problems as endangered species: farmers were destroying their habitat, conservation efforts were being delayed, and they were killed by poachers. But 40 years later, the population has increased and is still rising. An improvement is the species’ status, which is “endangered.” There has been a mini-baby boom during the past few years. A surprising five mountain gorilla children were born in Bwindi in the latter part of 2020. In total, only three babies were born in 2019.
However, talks in the UN this year plan to slow the extinction tide to a standstill. To restart the negotiations, representatives will gather in Nairobi. By 2030, at least 30% of the land and oceans are to be protected, according to one of the 21 goals that have been set. The objective is to create a framework for a worldwide pact under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity that nations will sign in October. To “live in harmony with the environment” by 2050 is the idea.
The question for the world is how much energy and resources we are willing to put into the effort to protect biodiversity. Elizabeth Mrema, UN’s head of biodiversity, issues a stark warning: “We’ve been told by scientists we only have this century to solve the biodiversity crisis. There is no planet B,” she says. “Tourism really does help wild animals if it is done right.”
