125,000 Gorillas Find Haven in Mud Swamp But Still Face Extinction
Conservationists were thrilled last month that thousands of African Western Lowland gorillas - 125,000 by head count estimates - may have found a safe haven in a mud swamp and probably escaped predators.
This could have doubled the number of the endangered primates thought to survive worldwide.
But it never dimmed the fact that the great apes are still heading toward extinction if the activities of mad rebel groups operating with abandon in the forests and mountainous regions of Africa continue unchecked.
Mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) are the worst hit among the three subspecies according to their habitant in different parts of Africa. Others are the Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and the Eastern Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla grauere).
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The Congolese government has consented to remove its forces from the Virunga National Park, an enclave of about 72 mountain gorillas out of a total of 700 worldwide, in spite of an ongoing conflict to help protect the park’s valuable natural resources.
Yet gorillas still have more enemies. They are food to many communities within Equatorial Africa despite the inherent heath risks.
The Ebola virus, among other diseases, is also bearing its toll on them. Conservationists think the disease that causes massive hemorrhaging and organ failure resulting in death in a number of species, including humans, has killed up to 95% of the gorillas in some areas.
Human commercial activity that endanger these animals are the timber trade and the bush meat trade, both of which feed markets in Europe and other parts of the world. But habitat loss due to land clearance for subsistence farming that drives the gorillas further to areas where they are susceptible to numerous physical risks is also to blame.
Ironically, researchers who found the gorillas in their swamp haven were tipped off to their sight by hunters and trekked through mud for three days to reach them.
This does not, however, change the bad news that almost 50% of the world’s primates, including colobus monkeys, bonobos, chimpanzees and orangutans, are in danger of extinction.
Image credit: David the Pimp Daddy at Flickr under a Creative Commons license
that’s good news..i happen to love gorillas but i am also awe-inspired by all of our beautiful, majestic wildlife. it is thoroughly appalling the bloodlust of people in this world. the blatant disregard and disrespect of nature itself. it is a terrible sickness upon this planet. whether it’s the aerial killing of our wolves, bashing the skulls of baby seals, or any of the other sport or trophy killings, it is still murder. there will be nothing left for future generations to appreciate and enjoy, much less to help keep the natural balance on this planet. people just don’t get it.
Great article…but correction, bonobos are apes just like gorillas, not monkeys! Thanks.
Thanks, Julie. I have made the correction, but don’t they sometimes look alike, these apes and monkeys!?
The pic you have there is of chimpanzees not Lowland Gorillas!