Poaching of mountain gorillas

Definition: Subspecies of the eastern gorilla found in remote areas of the mountains of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda

Although the population of mountain gorillas remains under constant threat from loss of habitat and poaching, the active involvement of international conservation organizations and individual scientists has helped to raise both public awareness and funds for the gorillas’ protection.

Gorillas, the largest living primates, are closely related to humans. Males are less than 1.8 meters (6 feet) tall and weigh approximately 136 kilograms (300 pounds), while females can grow up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) in height and weigh about 90 kilograms (200 pounds). Both have a brownish-gray fur that turns gray with age. Three main types of gorilla are found in Africa: the western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), the eastern lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla graueri), and the mountain gorilla (Gorilla gorilla beringei).

Mountain gorillas, the most endangered of the three, live in the high-altitude (up to 3,700 meters, or 12,000 feet) forests of the Virunga Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and the Bwindi Reserve in Uganda. They are ground-dwelling animals that walk on their hind limbs and the knuckles of their forelimbs. They eat shrubs and fruit. They live in small groups, each of which consists of a group-leading mature male (also known as the silverback), two to four adult females, and an equal number of younger gorillas. The males are generally peaceful and become aggressive only when they meet other group leaders. Females produce single offspring after a gestation of almost nine months; they lose about 50 percent of their offspring within the first year of life. The average lifespan of the mountain gorilla is estimated to be close to thirty-five years.

The end of World War II led to great changes in the colonization of Africa. Under mounting pressure, the governments of countries such as England, France, and Belgium realized that sustaining their pre-World War II colonial attitudes toward Africa was too expensive, both financially and politically. Several of the African colonies’ struggles for independence from European colonial leadership resulted in the rise of corrupt leaders whose interests were self-centered rather than patriotic. The poaching of wildlife was occasionally banned, but bribery, greed, and reckless disregard of the law continued to thrive in a few of these nations. Gorillas were in great demand for their palms, skins, and skulls, which sold for high prices. Mountain gorillas were also indirectly affected by the poaching of other animals, such as antelope, buffaloes, and elephants, which were driven to unusually higher altitudes and grazed at the expense of the mountain gorillas’ food supply.

The forests of Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, previously Zaire, were overexploited with no regard for the environment, which led to a dangerous decline in the gorilla population. Individual environmentalists such as Dian Fossey, who eventually died under mysterious circumstances in Africa, ensured that people around the world became aware of the imminent extinction of mountain gorillas. Since 1977, organizations such as the World Wildlife Federation, the African Wildlife Federation, the Gorilla Conservation Program, and the Fauna and Flora Preservation Society, have been actively involved in protecting the endangered mountain gorilla. The activities of these organizations include conservation, reforestation, law enforcement, environmental education, and controlled tourism and building development.

In the 2019 population survey, an estimated 1,063 mountain gorillas lived in equatorial Africa, an impressive increase in population from the 2011 estimate of only 400. To protect this endangered species, rangers and trackers hike up the steep, volcanic mountains daily to lay eyes on the gorilla families, visiting each group's territory on a weekly basis. Babies are counted, signs of poachers are reported, genetic material is collected for evaluation, and habitat conditions are noted. This job is dangerous because of the tenacity of the poachers, who are typically very poor villagers working for international buyers who use body parts of the gorilla for medically disproven healing practices. Some trackers and guards lose their lives protecting the species. Poachers use snares, guns, knives, and any other means necessary, as their success often means feeding their family. In the 2020s, successful poaching was rare, which allowed the populations of these animals to continue to grow.

Bibliography

Abraham, Curtis. "Dian Fossey, Africa's Mountain Gorillas and Deadly Toll of Poaching." The Ecologist, 25 Oct. 2017, theecologist.org/2017/oct/25/dian-fossey-africas-mountain-gorillas-and-deadly-toll-poaching. Accessed 20 Mar. 2023.

De la Bédoyère, Camilla. No One Loved Gorillas More: Dian Fossey—Letters from the Mist. Palazzo, 2010.

Eckhart, Gene, and Annette Lanjouw. Mountain Gorillas: Biology, Conservation, and Coexistence. The Johns Hopkins UP, 2008.

"Mountain Gorilla." WWF, wwf.panda.org/discover/knowledge‗hub/endangered‗species/great‗apes/gorillas/mountain‗gorilla/. Accessed 20 Mar 2023.

Robbins, Martha M., et al., editors. Mountain Gorillas: Three Decades of Research at Karisoke. Cambridge UP, 2001.