In the leafy growths of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, mountain gorillas munch peacefully on new stems that have pushed up through the soil. Several young gorillas tumble around, playing follow the leader, while another bunch of them roll down the hills excitedly.
Each day, these gorillas’ safe haven shrinks even more, as more and more trees are cut down for lumber and other resources. Suddenly, gunshots are heard, pouring over their heads and striking several. Sadly, this has become a cycle for the critically endangered mountain gorillas.
The extinction of many species is happening at least 100 times more than the normal rate. Many scientists have also warned about the world experiencing an extinction disaster, similar to the one that wiped out the dinosaurs.
Normally, species going extinct would not be that detrimental to humans. However, biodiversity helps in many aspects of the natural earth we live in, ranging from food and water to even oxygen.
When Sir David Attenborough, an English broadcaster and biologist, visited a mountain gorilla family in 1979, their numbers were at around 600, meaning mountain gorillas were critically endangered. They are also unable to survive when in captivity. This left people with no choice but to help protect them in the dangerous wild.
Mountain gorillas mainly live in two groups. One group is located in the Virunga Forest, on the border between Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The other group is in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, located in Uganda.
There is barely anything that makes mountain gorilla extinction different from other species– they suffer from the same causes of extinction, namely habitat destruction and loss, conflicting conservation efforts and missions, and poaching.
As gorilla encounters are extremely high on many people’s bucket lists, tourism plays a large factor in increasing their numbers, when handled with caution. Now, since Dr. Gladys Kalema Zikusoka became the first Uganda Wildlife Authority vet in 1995, tourist lodges, rent houses, stalls for crafting, and many trekking areas span the grounds of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park.
Compared to the feeble 600 gorillas 40 years ago, mountain gorilla numbers have shot up to over 1,000, and are growing every day due to carefully regulated tourism, starting in 1995 under Dr. Gladys and the Uganda Wildlife Authority. In late 2020, five mountain gorillas were born in Bwindi, an improvement from just three being born in the entire year of 2019.
Dr. Gladys says, “When I first started out, there were only about five lodges, now there are as many as 70. The lodges have created jobs, the NGOs have created jobs.”, proving how much gorilla tourism really boosts the region’s economy and prosperity as a whole.
In order to protect the mountain gorillas, conservationists need to protect the entire ecosystem living in those national parks. The diversity found in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is unlike anywhere else– there are tens of thousands of other species that are conserved along with mountain gorillas.
Mountain gorillas also used to suffer from the effects of poaching, as they would frequently end up in traps that were set up for wild pigs, deer, or other prey. Now, with the money and income from gorilla tourism, conservationists can work on neutralizing the effects of poaching on gorillas and other species as well.
In order to prevent poachers from continuing their jobs, authorities were able to give them lucrative offers of money and a fresh start in the forest, including new jobs either in the park or on charity-provided pieces of land. Many people feel proud of the effort they have done in the forests. Vincent Nshmarairw, a former poacher who now works for agricultural projects funded by the Gorilla Organization charity, based in the United Kingdom, says proudly, “My children are all at school, and with time maybe they can get jobs from the park.”
Despite all this, tourism can still prove to be a deathly problem, as it can disturb animals and uproot local cultures. However, many of the world’s major conservation organizations, such as the IUCN and the World Wildlife Fund, have set up careful management of ecotourism to help.
The success in restoring mountain gorilla numbers for the first time in decades has shown that even at the brink of extinction, species can still be saved, with true dedication, time, and effort.
Sources: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61788828
Each day, these gorillas’ safe haven shrinks even more, as more and more trees are cut down for lumber and other resources. Suddenly, gunshots are heard, pouring over their heads and striking several. Sadly, this has become a cycle for the critically endangered mountain gorillas.
The extinction of many species is happening at least 100 times more than the normal rate. Many scientists have also warned about the world experiencing an extinction disaster, similar to the one that wiped out the dinosaurs.
Normally, species going extinct would not be that detrimental to humans. However, biodiversity helps in many aspects of the natural earth we live in, ranging from food and water to even oxygen.
When Sir David Attenborough, an English broadcaster and biologist, visited a mountain gorilla family in 1979, their numbers were at around 600, meaning mountain gorillas were critically endangered. They are also unable to survive when in captivity. This left people with no choice but to help protect them in the dangerous wild.
Mountain gorillas mainly live in two groups. One group is located in the Virunga Forest, on the border between Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The other group is in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, located in Uganda.
There is barely anything that makes mountain gorilla extinction different from other species– they suffer from the same causes of extinction, namely habitat destruction and loss, conflicting conservation efforts and missions, and poaching.
As gorilla encounters are extremely high on many people’s bucket lists, tourism plays a large factor in increasing their numbers, when handled with caution. Now, since Dr. Gladys Kalema Zikusoka became the first Uganda Wildlife Authority vet in 1995, tourist lodges, rent houses, stalls for crafting, and many trekking areas span the grounds of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park.
Compared to the feeble 600 gorillas 40 years ago, mountain gorilla numbers have shot up to over 1,000, and are growing every day due to carefully regulated tourism, starting in 1995 under Dr. Gladys and the Uganda Wildlife Authority. In late 2020, five mountain gorillas were born in Bwindi, an improvement from just three being born in the entire year of 2019.
Dr. Gladys says, “When I first started out, there were only about five lodges, now there are as many as 70. The lodges have created jobs, the NGOs have created jobs.”, proving how much gorilla tourism really boosts the region’s economy and prosperity as a whole.
In order to protect the mountain gorillas, conservationists need to protect the entire ecosystem living in those national parks. The diversity found in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is unlike anywhere else– there are tens of thousands of other species that are conserved along with mountain gorillas.
Mountain gorillas also used to suffer from the effects of poaching, as they would frequently end up in traps that were set up for wild pigs, deer, or other prey. Now, with the money and income from gorilla tourism, conservationists can work on neutralizing the effects of poaching on gorillas and other species as well.
In order to prevent poachers from continuing their jobs, authorities were able to give them lucrative offers of money and a fresh start in the forest, including new jobs either in the park or on charity-provided pieces of land. Many people feel proud of the effort they have done in the forests. Vincent Nshmarairw, a former poacher who now works for agricultural projects funded by the Gorilla Organization charity, based in the United Kingdom, says proudly, “My children are all at school, and with time maybe they can get jobs from the park.”
Despite all this, tourism can still prove to be a deathly problem, as it can disturb animals and uproot local cultures. However, many of the world’s major conservation organizations, such as the IUCN and the World Wildlife Fund, have set up careful management of ecotourism to help.
The success in restoring mountain gorilla numbers for the first time in decades has shown that even at the brink of extinction, species can still be saved, with true dedication, time, and effort.
Sources: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61788828
