Are Mountain Gorillas Endangered in the World & Why?

Are Mountain Gorillas Endangered in the World? Why did mountain gorillas become endangered? Why is the silverback gorilla the most endangered species? Discover all the reasons why mountain gorillas are endangered, the threats, and the current status/population left on earth. Where to see mountain gorillas, mountain gorilla conservation and protection

Mountain gorillas are endangered species on earth for many reasons. They were categorized by the IUCN as endangered. These great apes are threatened by factors including human encroachment to their habitat, political instability/civil wars, poaching, and the spread of infectious diseases.

Are Mountain Gorillas Endangered in the World? Here are the top reasons why?

• Poaching
• Habitat loss
• Diseases
• Civil wars/political instabilities

Poaching

Poaching still continues to be the major threat and the top reason why mountain gorillas are endangered today. These apes are poached for several reasons, but mostly for meat –there is high demand for their meat in urban centers. When mountain gorillas are poached/hunted, their population gets reduced.

Habitat Loss

The high demand for land for settlement and farming from highly populated areas adjacent to gorilla safari parks is a high threat to the natural habitat of these apes. The more these apes’ habitat is encroached the more it gets reduced and with time, it will render them homeless.

Mountain gorillas only survive in the wild and habitat loss is a key threat endangering their presence in the natural environment. Not only does this leave these apes homeless but also reduces their chances of finding what to eat since they largely depend on vegetation.  Habitat loss also exposes them to those practicing illegal hunting and a lot more.

Diseases

Mountain gorilla health can easily be jeopardized by infectious human diseases. This is because these apes share up to 98% of their DNA with humans making them very susceptible to contagious diseases. When attacked by these infectious diseases, especially respiratory diseases, their recovery rate is very low.

Besides, it is hard to detect when a gorilla is sick. It can take gorilla doctors or conservationists a lot of time to recognize or find a sick gorilla because these apes live in the jungles. By the time gorilla doctors come across one during their daily monitoring or patrols, the health conditions would have worsened.

Internal fights

Internal fights amongst gorillas also have an impact on their population growth. Gorillas, especially the silverbacks usually engage in the fights for family dominance. When they engage in a fight, it can be severe and at times lead to death.

Low reproduction rate

Unlike other wildlife species, mountain gorillas produce a single baby gorilla at a time, and takes them a longer period to give birth again. This affects their recovery rate, especially when they are lost. This is one reason why currently there are only 1063 mountain gorillas worldwide. On rare occasions, they give birth to twins but even at that, taking care of them till they mature isn’t easy.

Civil wars

Civil wars or political instabilities are a threat to the survival of mountain gorillas. Where civil wars are taking place, the normal ecological behavior of these apes (mating) is jeopardized. On the other hand, some get killed in the course of the fights between parties.

About mountain gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo

Where do mountain gorillas live?

Mountain gorillas in Africa or the world live only in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo. These are the subspecies of the Eastern lowland gorillas. Mountain gorillas live in parks such as Mgahinga Gorilla National Park & Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. The Virunga National Park in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Are Mountain Gorillas Endangered in the World? How many gorillas are left on earth?

The current mountain gorilla population as per the previous census stands at 1063. These exist only in the natural environment. They live in an altitudinal range of 1500 to 3500m in the montane rainforest while in the bamboo forest, they survive at an altitude of 2500 to 3000m.

Are Mountain Gorillas Endangered in the World? Conservation (What is being done)

With fewer than 1063 mountain gorillas left on earth, a lot is needed to be done to ensure the safety of these apes in the wild. Several conservation practices have been introduced to protect mountain gorillas in the wild.

The conservation measures in place include the introduction of gorilla doctors who engage in the treatment of gorillas. The park rangers have been employed to do patrols in and around the parks to protect not only mountain gorillas but also other wildlife. Introduction of gorilla tourism as a main source of revenue to cater for the financial support to facilitate conservation activities.

The status of the mountain gorillas in the wild has also attracted funding from wildlife conservation organizations. These include the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGGP), Fauna & Flora International, the World Wide Fund for Nature, and the African Wildlife Foundation.

A good number of gorilla guidelines/rules/regulations have been introduced too to ensure the safety of gorillas in the wild. These rules also protect humans as they interact with these apes. They include observing a distance of 8-10 meters away from gorillas, and not touching these apes and others.

Other actions that have been taken to protect the endangered mountain gorillas (Eastern gorilla subspecies) include conducting extensive research and monitoring.

Human-wildlife buffers have also been created and then community tourism programs are all some of the practices in place that are intended to save the lives of the endangered mountain gorillas in the wild.

Are Mountain Gorillas Endangered in the World, What can you do as a person?

Visitors or any nature enthusiasts can take part in saving the lives of mountain gorillas. This can be through adoption of your favorite gorilla, donate or sponsor a gorilla.

Gorilla trekking

Mountain gorilla safaris play a critical role in mountain gorilla conservation. The largest source of financial support conservation or park authorities get comes from gorilla tourism. You can be part of gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo.

But you need a gorilla permit which you can book at USD 800 for Uganda, USD 1500 per person for Rwanda, and USD 400 for Congo. Book your gorilla permit and tour with Maranatha Tours and Travel | info@adventureugandasafaris.com.

Are Mountain Gorillas Endangered in the World, What will happen if gorillas go extinct?

Like other wildlife, mountain gorillas are essential to the natural environment. They facilitate natural balance in the food chain and their absentia can disrupt the process.

What makes a silverback gorilla special?

Silverback gorillas are the leaders of gorilla groups. The silverback gorillas are the ones in charge of mating the females and protecting the entire group from attacks. They also search/lead the group to where the rest of the family members can feed for the day.

They are a few in number and a family only one silverback leads a group. Often, they are the ones that engage in defending the rest of the members.

In conclusion, mountain gorillas are endangered due to habitat loss, infectious diseases, civil wars, climate change, and poaching or illegal hunting.