Gorillas NEED our help, now!

Three out of four subspecies of gorillas are critically endangered. They need our help to rebound and grow.

Humans can stop species endangerment and save gorillas by taking specific steps. Learn more about what you can do here.

"Gorilla's share 98.3% of their genetic code with humans" (World Wildlife Fund). Let that sink in for a second. They are humans third closest cousins, yet we continue to be the reason for their demise. Why is this? What can we do to help? Gorillas have a very low rate of reproduction (females have three to four children at four to six-year intervals) and thus humans need to help protect them while they see that their population increases. Without significant changes in human behavior and involvement, the United Nation 2010 report that gorillas "may disappear from large parts of the Congo Basin by the mid-2020's" (World Wildlife Fund) will become a harsh reality. Gorillas' habitat is the Congo Basin in central Africa and currently 17% of gorillas live in protected regions (World Wildlife Fund).

There are four different subspecies of gorillas and three out of those four subspecies are critically endangered! That is only one step away from EXTINCTION. Like the giant pandas, gorillas are a keystone species. They are essential to spread tree seeds and help sunlight reach plants low in the forest by separating other larger plants through their movement. Not only do we need to protect the Congo Basin to protect the gorilla population, but we also need to stop habitat destruction in order to protect the second largest tropical rainforest. The destruction of the Congo Basin would affect humans as well as gorillas as the moisture generated in this rainforest later falls as rain over the United States (World Wildlife Fund).

Cross river gorillas:

Cross river gorillas are critically endangered so much so that there are only 200 to 300 left in the wild today. They are currently facing poaching in their forest habitats where protection laws are poorly enforced by the government and its officials. Since the population numbers are becoming so low, cross river gorillas are now facing risks of inbreeding and therefore a decrease in genetic diversity (World Wildlife Fund). These two factors are multiplied by the continuous separation of population groups that causes decreased interactions.

One of the largest things that can be done to increase the cross river gorilla population is forest/habitat protection. This will mitigate the previous fear of inbreeding and lack of genetic diversity. Furthermore, the World Wildlife Fund works with not only logging companies, but the Cameroon Ministry of the Forest and Wildlife (an organization that tracks land protected by law - Permanent Forest Estate). Together they fight poaching and protect wildlife/green corridors that help connect separated areas of habitat. The WWF has also succeeded in creating a protected area for cross river gorillas where there are ranger posts, "anti-poaching staff" (World Wildlife Fund), and scientific equipment that creates a system to monitor the cross river gorilla population.

With more donations, the WWF will be able to implement more progressive movements like these. Donate here!

Mountain gorillas:

The mountain gorilla population is separated roughly in half to live in the Virunga Mountains that border the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and the other half to live in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Beyond being a completely separated subspecies, mountain gorillas are being pushed higher into the mountains by extensive human development. However, the subspecies does not do well with extreme elevation and thus the new conditions they are being exposed to are dangerous and deadly. However, mountain gorillas are the only gorilla species endangered but not critically endangered and they have even seen population increases: 620 to 880 from 1989 to today (World Wildlife Fund).

Some further threats mountain gorillas face are habitat loss (sometimes from charcoal mining) due to poor implementation of protection laws, contact with humans carrying diseases, and traps set for other animals. Since gorillas are not exposed to human diseases, any exposure to them (including the common cold) can severely hurt or kill them. A popular human disease among gorillas is an Ebola hemorrhagic fever but diseases like tuberculosis and scabies also affect them (World Wildlife Fund).

In an effort to help people understand why it is important to work to save the gorillas, the World Wildlife Fund partnered with Samba Mapangala, a Congolese musician, to create the song "Les Gorilles des Montagnes." The song also included Virunga, Congolese's orchestra (World Wildlife Fund). It was created as a conservation effort to emphasize the importance of gorillas and their habitat as well as to highlight the importance of ecotourism in helping people and their communities.

***Hear the song here***

Western lowland gorillas:

The western lowland gorillas are critically endangered and it is predicted that their numbers have decreased over 60% due to poaching in the last twenty to twenty-five years (World Wildlife Fund). This subspecies, like mountain gorillas, are also affected by the Ebola virus. The WWF is funding research to find a vaccine to cure this disease in gorillas. Other threats include logging, hunting for bushmeat, and gas development.

Eastern lowland gorillas:

Eastern lowland gorillas are critically endangered and there is an estimated 50+% decrease in population size since the 1990's (World Wildlife Fund). This subspecies is greatly affected by human land development for agriculture and livestock. Their habitat decreased from 8,100 square miles to 4,600 square miles in only fifty years (World Wildlife Fund). Eastern lowland gorillas are affected by poachers as well, who would invade their habitat Kahuzi-Biega National Park and implement illegal mines. Others use their habitat to mine for tin, gold, and coltan which is "an alloy used in cell phones" (World Wildlife Fund). Think about what you are using on a daily basis, where it comes from, and its effect on people, animals, and the planet! The World Wildlife Fund is using funding to train Congolese Wildlife Authority (ICCN) to do the monitoring that they typically would do. The WWF also wants to create another protected area in the Itombwe Forest.

But what can I do?

A lot more than you think. The Word Wildlife Fund highlighted the individual Adams Cassinga and I would like to do the same here. Cassinga was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo near the Kahuzi-Biega National Park. The only exposure he had to gorillas and other species of the DRC was seeing bushmeat sold in the market. Going to South Africa, Cassinga was fascinated by the value the country placed on animals and the skillful way they used them for ecotourism, and questioned why his home didn't do the same. After witnessing unsustainable logging practices through his job as environmental consultant, Cassinga quit to launch Conserv Congo - a nonprofit to fight poaching, train volunteers, and buy supplies for rangers (Conserv Congo). Today, the nonprofit has seen immense success with 400 registered volunteers, 25 new researchers in the DRC and work in six school with 2,000 students (the World Wildlife Fund).

So, what was Cassinga's trick? There's no secret, you just have to get out there and do something! Cassinga is only 35, yet is already making a lasting impact on his country. You could also start a nonprofit, or donate to the WWF here to help other, already established organizations create more protected areas for gorillas and launch new initiatives.

Looking for conservation efforts led by animal lovers that saw success in Africa and the Ivory trade? Read my review of the Netflix documentary The Ivory Game.

Sources used:

“Conserv Congo.” Conserv Congo, conservcongo.wordpress.com/.

“Gorilla.” WWF, World Wildlife Fund, 2018, www.worldwildlife.org/species/gorilla.