Fact 2 – Mountain gorillas are herbivores animals. Common diseases for Mountain Gorillas are; Flue, intestinal parasites and cough. by Gorillas-World | Feb 6, 2014 | Conservation. Some parts of mountain gorillas like hands, heads, and legs are believed to be used by some witchdoctors for powers. [3] Since 1960, the black rhino population has decreased by 97.6% due to poaching. Poaching, civil unrest, extractive industries (mining, logging, illegal charcoal trade), lack of legal habitat protection. https://www.safarisrwandasafari.com/information/why-are-gorillas-poached [3] Conservationists estimate that between 30,000 and 38,000 elephants are poached annually for their ivory. Besides selling the meat and alive gorillas, certain body parts are required to make traditional medicines and what are thought to be “magic” remedies. It’s at this time that Dian Fossey an American primatologist left her home and came to the Virunga massif to save gorillas. MOUNTAIN GORILLA FACTS; BACKGROUND INFORMATION, HISTORY AND BEHAVIOR Scientific name Common Name Mountain Gorillas Type Mammal Population Diet Omnivore Average lifespan 35 years. She started the process of habituating them to the presence of human observers, so that she could closely observe and document their behaviors, status, movements and other important information. Besides eating, poachers sell gorilla meat in the black market to earn money. Gorillas’ meat is eaten in the West and the Central African Republic. The mountain gorilla is an awe-inspiring, chest-thumbing large and immensely strong ape found mostly in volcanic slopes and dense tropical forests of Africa. To sell parts of their bodies. Approximately 880 mountain gorillas are living on planet earth, half of these live in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda. Only about 1,000 of these great apes remain in the wild, according to the most recent census. Mountain gorilla conservation and climate change. today we gathered information to know why mountain gorillas are poached? Selling a baby gorilla abroad comes along with huge sums of money which have continued to entice some people to poach these innocent apes. The reasons why mountain gorillas are killed include among others: Some people especially the indigenous dwellers of gorilla habits enjoy feasting on gorilla meat. They have thicker fur, and more of it, compared to other great apes. Mountain gorillas have been monitored and studied closely since Dian Fossey began her work with them in 1967, after establishing the Karisoke Research Center. Mountain Gorilla Poaching Facts. One group of gorillas lives in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Orientalism and Gorilla Poaching in Rwanda (Somers 2017) [click to view] 3 Plos One. The recent popular YouTube video showing a tourist being touched by wild mountain gorillas has captivated more than a million viewers and will likely inspire many travelers to book a trip to visit mountain gorillas themselves. Mobile: +256-705487517 Countries like Rwanda and Uganda that have stepped up conservation efforts have started seeing an increase in the number of these primates. Facts on Mountain Gorillas, scientific name Gorilla beringei beringei is a sub species of the Eastern Gorilla from phylum Chordata. Mountain gorillas are scientifically known as gorilla beringei beringei and they amazing sub species of gorillas to catch a glimpse on gorilla safari. These set traps in the trails of mountain gorillas, which catch innocent gorillas especially infants. Illegal hunting or poaching is one of the main threats to gorillas and many other endangered species. Approximately 880 mountain gorillas are living on planet earth, half of these live in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and … 5 Days Gorilla & Chimpanzee Safari Tel:+256-392 834 606 At this altitude, there is much less oxygen and for the first few days we would feel dizzy, tired, and out of breath, even when we are just hanging out at camp. Habitat changewas the main reason that mountain gorillas are now endangered. Gorillas are still endangered animals, and … Gorilla trekking is a once in a lifetime experience you should not miss when visiting Africa. It should be clear that the effectiveness of these traditional remedies is not scientifically proven. Get in touch. In this incident, poachers set their traps to catch other animals, which live in the jungle. Lubowa Estates, Kampala They thrive between altitude 1500 and 4000 meters and their bodies are used to the conditions within their habitat. Also, mountain gorillas have been highly threatened by civil conflicts in gorilla national parks especially in Virunga Park of the Democratic Republic of Congo. 8 Days Mountain Gorilla Adventure “This is fantastic news,” says Bas Huijbregts, director for African species conservation at WWF. Male mountain gorillas outweigh female mountain gorillas. However, poaching does not seem to reduce. 1.Mountain Gorillas Share 98% Of The Human’s DNA. 2. - Since 1960 the Black Rhino has decreased 97.6% due to poaching. Poaching and Hunting: Poaching and hunting of the mountain gorillas more so in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the main threats to mountain gorillas. Email: africaadventure12@gmail.com, Home |About Us|Travel Info |Testimonials |Gorilla -Trekking |Gorilla Permits|Safari News|Terms & Conditions|Contact Us| Day tours to kigali. Facts about Mountain Gorillas-Mountain Gorillas are the endangered primate species living in the dense tropical forests of Bwindi impenetrable forest and Mgahinga gorilla forest in south western Uganda, Bwindi impenetrable forest, harbours over half of the world population of the mountain gorillas and others can be seen in volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in the DR. Gorilla bodies or parts of them are trophies for people wealthy enough to afford it, and sick enough to do it. 15 Days Adventure Safari The mountain gorilla is a subspecies of the Eastern gorilla, which is only found in two high-altitude forested areas - the Virunga volcanic regions of Central Africa and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. There are about 680 Mountain gorillas left in the wild. Interesting about the eastern gorilla is the fact that when they get old, their face, hands, feet, and breasts become bald. Poaching and hunting gorillas for bushmeat, sale, pets and keeping in zoos is a great threat that sees gorilla families being split and most of them being killed in the process of capturing them. A high number of mountain gorillas especially the infants has been lost to diseases. Poaching: Mountain gorillas can be caught and harmed by snares set for other animals. The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is one of the two subspecies of the eastern gorilla. Humans are pushing mountain gorillas out of the wild and into extinction. Though protected, the mountain gorilla has fallen victim to excessive poaching, making each gorilla’s survival incredibly important. But today the total number in the wild tops 1,000. Gorillas’ meat is eaten in the West and the Central African Republic. In the 1990’ the world almost lost the endangered mountain gorillas to extinction by poaching. E-mail: info@rwandagorilla.com, Bill W. Williams, The bloody civil wars in Rwanda not only took a toll on the human population but also the mountain gorillas. They are hunted for different purposes. Weight. The best example in this point is in Volcanoes National park, which lost over 54% of the total park and area to encroachment. Mountain gorillas have been monitored and studied closely since Dian Fossey began her work with them in 1967, after establishing the Karisoke Research Center. The only predator to the Mountain Gorillas are the leopards but these are rare given the cold environment in which the Gorillas live. Hunting & poaching. Eastern gorilla: The eastern gorilla namely the Grauer’s gorilla and the mountain gorilla have the same features but they differ is size, height, colour and so on. They keep those gorillas as exotic pets, although this is not common because the size and cares they need when they reach adulthood are numerous, people with enough resources to do it, have them in these own zoos, sometimes not providing the proper care to these animals. Unfortunately, Dina Fossey lost her life to save gorillas but her campaign led to the survival of these endangered species up to present. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/m/mountain-gorilla Moreover, some hunters capture gorillas to keep them alive and sell them to private zoos. There has been a lot of awareness to save the gorillas but poaching is one of the biggest hindrances. “It’s because of decades of collaborative conservation work … Enforcing conservation laws is not hard enough; therefore if poaching continues it could end with the entire species. We should not wait until this happens and only a few gorillas remain in the wild, it is necessary that conservation laws are reinforced to avoid the consumption of any product from gorillas that encourages illegal hunting. Recently, three poachers were charged with killing one of these critically-endangered animals in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, but they were only fined a small amount — between 18 and 37 U.S. dollars. Eastern lowland gorillas are only found in DR Congo, a country plagued by continued conflict. Mountain Gorilla. Besides poaching, mountain gorillas are highly injured by several other threats, which include among others: It’s unfortunate that gorilla habits have continued to be destroyed by locals. The biggest threats to this endangered great ape's survival come from political instability, human encroachment, and forest degradation. There are slightly more than 1000 mountain gorillas in the whole world. - Baby gorillas are sold up to $40,000 per gorilla. Mountain Gorilla Poaching Facts Illegally hunt or catch ashore that’s not one’s own or in contravention of official protection is named Poaching. You can easily identify mountain gorillas by their nose prints that are distinct from one each other. The 98 % of the D.N.A of mountain gorillas match with us making them as our cousins. The world’s entire population of endangered mountain gorillas live only in the Virunga Massif and Bwindi, which spans parts of Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda. There are several facts about mountain gorillas in Africa. Great thanks to respective anti-poaching programs and government bodies which have seen the number of mountain gorillas rise to 1004 today. Hunting and poaching of mountain gorillas are one of the income sources for an average family as they sell their meat and body parts. - Fewer than 900 African mountain gorillas are still alive due to poaching. Up close with mountain gorillas in Uganda – The critically endangered species are threatened by continued loss of habitat as a result of human activities, as well as poaching… Their heads, hands, and feet and other bones are sold for high prices in the black market. 602 S. Grape St. Escondido, Witchcraft does attribute a big percentage to gorilla poaching and remains a common threat. Obviously, this is also illegal, but in some bizarre circles, the consumption of such meat can mean status. 4 Days Double gorilla Tour in Bwindi 2 Day Rwanda Gorilla Tracking Tour & Cultural Safari, 4 Days Rwanda Gorilla Tour: Golden Monkey Safari, 5 Days Rwanda Safari : Gorillas & Chimpanzee Trekking, 6 Days Rwanda Safari – Gorilla Trekking & Cultural Tour, 7 Days Rwanda-Uganda Double Gorilla and Chimp Tracking Safari, 7 Days Rwanda Gorillas & Chimps Tour in Uganda, 11 Days Gorilla Trek & Congo Nile Trail hike, 5 Days Gorilla Safari in Uganda – Rwanda Tours, 3 Days Queen Elizabeth National Park Tour, 6 Days Gorilla safaris in Bwindi & Primates Tours, 10 Days Rwanda Safari: Gorilla Safari in Rwanda & Uganda, 14 Days Uganda safari – Gorillas & Wildlife Tour, 3 Days Gorilla Trekking Tour – DR Congo Safari, 5 Days Congo Gorilla Tour & Nyungwe Chimps Trekking, 5 Days Rwanda Gorillas & Nyiragongo Volcano in DR Congo, Frequently Asked Questions About Mountain Gorilla Trekking, 5 Days Gorilla Safaris in Rwanda & Uganda, 5 Days Gorilla Trekking & Wildlife Uganda, 7 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking & Primates, 10 Days Best of Uganda Gorilla & Primates, 5 Days gorilla trekking in DR Congo & Volcanoes NP, Gorilla Permit Rescheduling –Penalty & Fines, 17 Days Gorilla & Mt Rwenzori Hiking Safari, Covid19, a new threat to Mountain Gorillas, Rwanda Ranked Seventh Best Travel Destination For 2021, RDB to Pattern with Rwanda Basketball Federation, Standard Operating Procedures for Primate Trekking in Africa, Arsenal players name Rwanda baby gorillas in virtual ceremony, Uganda Reopens Entebbe Airport to Tourists. Facts about Mountain Gorillas. 3 Days Rwanda Gorilla Book Now +250-780-870-670 +256-701-703-573 Off Entebbe Road, Overall, the major threats to the Mountain Gorillas are poaching, habitat destruction, diseases and insecurity. But today the total number in the wild tops 1,000. Illegally hunt or catch ashore that’s not one’s own or in contravention of official protection is named Poaching. One of the consequences for gorillas, besides habitat loss, has been the increased trade of their meat because poachers can reach previously inaccessible areas. A 7 days Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, the home of mountain gorillas in Rwanda. To stay warm in the mountains, mountain gorillas have longer hair than their eastern lowland cousins, the Grauer's gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri). Mountain gorillas are susceptible to human communicable diseases like cough and flue. Gorilla Poachers usually use the most brutal means to attack and Kill the gorillas in their natural habitat which has for long reduced the number of Gorillas especially the mountain gorillas which are currently enlisted as an endangered species. When mountain gorillas are born, the babies are very weak and weigh about 4 pounds. Columbia,Canada On this page we’re going to discover where it lives, its preferred habitat, what it eats, how it communicates and much more. 2011) [click to view] 4 EcoAdapt. Mother & Baby Mountain Gorilla in Rwanda, photo by Carine06 via CC by 2.0 Facts About Gorilla Families. The Mountain Gorilla Gorilla The hunting, trading and consumption of gorillas is almost illegal in all Congo Basin countries. “This is fantastic news,” says Bas Huijbregts, director for African species conservation at WWF. Mountain Gorillas are endangered due to: 1. +1-760-807-1456 (USA) – +256-705-487-517/ +256 786 880 733 (UGANDA) – Email info@rwandagorilla.com. In the 1990’ the world almost lost the endangered mountain gorillas to extinction by poaching. Explore DR Congo for gorilla trekking in Virunga National park; go hiking Nyiragongo Volcano and track gorillas again in Volcanoes, Rwanda. - Conversations estimate that between 30,000 and 38,000 elephants are poached annually for ivory. The war in Rwanda in the early 1990s and years of civil unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo have sent waves of refugees into the region around the Virunga Mountains parks that are home to more than half the mountain gorilla population, leading to poaching and destruction of gorilla habitat. 2 Day Bwindi Gorilla Trek Currently, the mountain gorillas habitat is limited to protected national parks in two regions of Africa. 7 Days Gorilla Safari Adventure Some mountain gorillas have accidentally fallen victims of poaching. Height. It’s at this time that Dian Fossey an American primatologist left her home and came to the Virunga massif to save gorillas. This park is believed to be a hiding place for several rebel groups who hunt gorillas for meat and also killing tourists and park rangers. “It’s because of decades of collaborative conservation work between the three countries and their partners. Maple Ridge, British The males can weigh up to 180 kilograms and the females weigh only about 90 kilograms. While African villagers can consume gorillas meat, sending it to other countries like the United States is a more lucrative option. Mountain Gorillas are endangered according to the IUCN Red List. Local people especially traditional healers with a strong attachment to traditional medicines believe that some parts of mountain gorillas are medicine to certain diseases. On a bad day, a set trap catches a passing by mountain gorilla leading to his/her death or serious injuries. © 2019 Gorilla Trek Africa; All rights reserved. It’s unfortunate that a high number of mountain gorillas both young and old have been lost to poaching for unknown reasons. Of the two species of gorillas, each has two lowland and upland subspecies. For most of us, hiking at 13,000 feet above sea level would present some challenges. Gorillas are still an endangered animal and hunting is one of the key reasons. Receive information about animals, environment, nature and our planet. If you have any feedback on the page or even if you have another fascinating fact that we can add then please let us know. The poaching continues unabated due to a lack of enforcement of national and international,... |Testimonials |Gorilla -Trekking |Gorilla Permits|Safari News|Terms & Conditions|Contact Us| day tours to kigali view ] 4 EcoAdapt gorillas sell... Traditional remedies is not one ’ s unfortunate that a high number of mountain gorillas facts that you ought know! 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