The Magnificent Mountain Gorilla

The Gentle Giants

 

Mountain gorilla





It seems really very unfair that man 

should have chosen the gorilla to symbolize

everything that is aggressive and violent,

when that is one thing that the gorilla is not,

and that we are.

-Sir David Attenborough

 

Meet the Mountain gorilla

Mountain gorillas are a species of great ape--in fact, they are the largest living primates.

Females average four feet tall standing upright, with an average weight of 220 lbs. Males can be over five feet tall, averaging 430 lbs. Adult male mountain gorillas are called silverbacks, due to the silver fur that grows on their backs as they age. Mountain gorillas have thick fur which helps them survive in their environment.

Scientists currently estimate that there are only 880 mountain gorillas existing in the wild. Successful conservation efforts have increased their numbers in recent years, but mountain gorillas are still critically endangered.

So where do they live?

Mountain gorillas live in the montane cloud forests in national parks in four African countries. Currently their population is separated into those that live in the Virunga volcanic mountains in Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. The other population lives in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. There is some question as to whether the population living in Bwindi might be a separate subspecies of mountain gorilla. 

Why are Mountain gorillas threatened?

• Habitat loss. Deforestation and human population growth spell double trouble for the Mountain gorilla. Gorillas can be pushed further and further up a mountain, where they can succumb to cold temperatures despite their thick fur. Mountain gorilla habitat is becoming increasingly fragmented
• Poaching. Mountain gorillas become ensnared in traps humans leave in the wild for other animals. Sometimes infants are also purposefully captured to sell to zoos, as pets or for research. Adult mountain gorillas can be killed in teh process.
• Human/gorilla conflicts. Local impoverished communities may desire to clear land for slash and burn agriculture. Competing needs and lack of education among communities on the need to preserve gorilla habitat can cause animosity and increase conflicts.
• Disease. Increased contact with humans, including tourists, can spread disease to mountain gorillas.
• War. Mountain gorillas have been caught in the midst of human conflict zones, like the genocide that took place Rwanda in 1994, and years of civil unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This is what poaching looks like

No, it's not a pretty sight. Seeing the images for yourself bring the concept of poaching to life. It vividly illustrates that human actions can and do have serious impacts on endangered species like the mountain gorilla.

  

So why should you care about Mountain gorillas?

For no other reason than great apes such as the Mountain gorilla give we human beings the opportunity to reflect most closely on what it really means to be: To be alive, to be human, to belong to a group, to part of something more than ourselves.  

When I look at photos of these magnificent creatures, I see eyes with needs, fears and desires behind them that are much like my own. Recognizing their "person-ness" makes me realize just how much other animals need human beings to wake up! to the part we play in this sixth mass extinction. We can make the choice to tread lightly so that our cousins--the mountain gorillas-- may also have a home on which to live and love, on this third rock from the sun.     



Looks like love to me!



Take action!

Sign Forcechange.com's petition to save the endangered mountain gorilla in the Congo.
 
Donate to a non-profit working to help mountain gorillas, such as:

• African Wildlife Foundation: They work to help over 80 endangered species, including mountain gorillas.
• Gorilla Doctors: So cool--they give medical care to endangered gorillas in the wild!!

RESOURCES!

Video: Titus the Gorilla King
I loved this video! BBC Natural World tells the history of the mountain gorilla and follows the life of one remarkable orphaned mountain gorilla named Titus. The reasons why Titus lost his family at 4 years of age are heartbreaking, but Titus' survival and his ensuing life are compelling. Towards the end the video reveals Titus' current family lineage--what a shocker! Great cinematography and story. 
 

 

 

Video: Gorillas... 98.6% Human
A video by Explore in conjunction with the African Wildlife Foundation, shows mountain gorillas in the wild in Rwanda. Surprising opening scene.
 

Video: Saving a Baby Mountain Gorilla from a Poacher's Snare

Four minute video where Gorilla Doctors save a baby mountain gorilla trapped in a snare. They take great care to ensure that Mama and baby can stay healthy in the wild.

Links:
African Wildlife Foundation's page on mountain gorillas.

World Wildlife Fund page on mountain gorillas. This is a lovely page!
 
Gorilla Doctors site. They help mountain gorillas and Grauer's gorillas through healthcare.

National Geographic page on mountain gorillas.

Mountain gorilla page on Wikipedia.