Conservationists Trying to Increase the Population of Mountain Gorillas in Africa

The majestic mountain gorillas residing in the lush forests of Central and East Africa that span Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo have faced numerous challenges over the years. In the late 1980s, mountain gorillas were edging extinction due to the civil wars in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which undermined their existence.

In the early 1990s, the Rwanda genocide was another punch in the gut that saw the efforts of gorilla conservation undermined. With the continuous negative public relations highlighting the unrest in the region, gorilla tourism and conservation continued to be undermined.

Conservationists, deeply concerned about the declining population of these magnificent creatures, took it upon themselves to advocate, work hard as well as bring to light the success stories related to gorilla tourism and conservation. Among the notable ones include but are not limited to conservation through public health by Dr. Kalema Zikusooka.

Dr. Kalema recently released her memoir that, for the biggest part, highlights her conservation passion and journey that saw her become the first wildlife vet in Uganda. However, it isn't only her efforts that are worth highlighting. It is important to recognize other scientists who have established several projects that directly benefit the gorilla host communities and also enhance conservation. 

Conservationists are actively involved in initiatives to protect and restore these habitats, creating safe zones for gorillas to thrive. Recently, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) donated 2.4 hectares of land to Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park, a move that is aimed at expanding the habitat for the endangered mountain gorillas as well as other wildlife.

There are mainly three avenues that are being used to ensure that the gorilla population keeps growing in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and the Virunga Massif that stretches over Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These endeavors largely rely on the generous contributions from people around the world.

Gorilla Trekking

Gorilla trekking is the backbone of mountain gorilla conservation in Africa. There are many people who have come to know about the Mountain gorillas partly because of gorilla tourism. Unlike encountering gorillas in the Zoos, gorilla trekking presents a unique opportunity to come face to face with the mountain gorillas without any barriers. 

To many people, this is an opportunity of a lifetime, but in their pursuit of an opportunity of life, they part with a reasonable fee to cater for the gorilla trekking permit. This money is later shared between the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the host communities that live adjacent to the protected areas.

Besides the conservation fortune that comes through the gorilla trekking fees, community lodges have been established, as well as craft markets that tell the story of the local communities and their relationship with the mountain gorillas. 

With the growing popularity of gorilla trekking in Africa, the local people have started seeing the value of preserving mountain gorillas. In Uganda, the last poaching incident was last reported in 2020, and this was as a result of someone killing the mountain gorilla in self-defense within Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. In Rwanda, the last poaching activity was last recorded in 2002. All this success has been registered courtesy of gorilla trekking and the value that people now place on the livelihood of the mountain gorillas.

Protecting Mountain Gorilla Habitats

Gorilla conservation is one of those initiatives that have seen the private sector successfully partner with the government. In Uganda, the conservation of gorilla habitats is carried out by a government agency well known as the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). 

In Rwanda, gorilla habitat conservation is carried out by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). In the Democratic Republic of Congo, mountain gorilla conservation is a joint effort between none government organizations and the government.

It is the efforts of these main government stakeholders that have seen the gorilla population surpass the 1060 gorilla population mark. Things such as deforestation, mining, agriculture, infrastructure development, and civil wars are currently the main threats to gorilla conservation. 

The success of gorilla conservation is mainly attributed to the lasting peace in the host communities. It is for this reason that the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo has threatened gorilla conservation in Virunga Congo. Without lasting peace in the host communities, it is hard to continue with gorilla trekking activities, which are the main source of income for gorilla habitat conservation.  

Though the above three avenues have been the main contributors to mountain gorilla conservation, events and initiatives such as Kwita Izina, Gorilla Gram, among several other efforts, have largely brought about the much-needed awareness about mountain gorilla conservation. 

Through Kwita Izina, conservationists gather at the foothills of Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park to celebrate and name the newborn baby gorillas every single year. It is partly the ripple effect of this event that has interested many people to give a hand towards mountain gorilla conservation in Africa.

Health Care to Gorilla Host Communities

For gorilla trekking to be possible, mountain gorillas undergo what is known as gorilla habituation. This is an activity through which mountain gorillas are accustomed to having human beings as part of their environment. It is this very activity that later on makes gorilla trekking possible.

However, it comes with a terrible cost. Through gorilla habituation, mountain gorillas cease to fear crossing into people's gardens and homes. Upon habituation, they start seeing the surrounding communities as an extension of their habitat. With people's food being destroyed, the gorilla-human conflict is inevitable. 

In order to ensure that conservation flourishes in these areas, communities have adopted the growth of plants that mountain gorillas do not feed on. When you visit communities around the gorilla parks, they no longer grow food crops on the forest borders; rather, they invest most of their time into tea growing. 

This means that what were once substance farmers have been forced into commercial farming. They now have to depend on other communities for food. But this is not all. With the mountain gorillas crossing the boundaries once in a while, the conservationist makes sure that the people in these communities are healthy.

Mountain Gorillas share more than 97% human DNA. This implies that mountain gorillas can easily catch the same diseases that affect human beings. To reduce the likelihood of disease transfer, many clinics and hospitals have been set up to ensure that people not only get good health care but are also sensitized about conservation while receiving medical services.