Extinct Gorillas
Extinct Gorillas
Why are gorillas nearing extinction? Mountain gorillas can be only be trekked in three countries in the whole world and that’s is in Volcanoes national park found in Rwanda, Virunga national park in Congo then Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and mount Mgahinga national park in Uganda.
Vibrant Holiday Safaris gives you some of the reasons why Mountain gorillas were almost becoming extinct on the 19th century but the number has increased due to the conservation efforts being put though they are still being critically endangered. The following reasons are why gorillas are getting extinct.
Why are gorillas getting extinct?
Habitat loss
One of the main reasons gorillas are going extinct is habitat loss, forests where gorillas have lived for many years are being destroyed for agricultural use, commercial logging and many other activities this lives gorillas in hard conditions as they can hardly live else where except in their habitats.
Disease outbreak
The outbreak of disease such as Ebola is greatly affecting the gorilla population in the world for example in the year 2002-2003 95% of mountain gorillas died due to Ebola outbreak in Congo, in 1994 the whole gorilla population and chimpanzees was wiped off due to disease outbreak in Gabon.
Bush meat
One of the main reasons as to why gorillas are going extinct is the need for bush meat, poachers tend to poach gorillas for monetary purposes. They sell gorilla meat to wealthy folks who think eating gorilla meat is prestigious. Sometimes mountain gorillas are killed in traps set for other animals like small antelopes.
Animal trade
Animal trade is also the main reason for gorillas going extinct; people poach gorillas to illegally sell them to rich people abroad who use them as trophies or as pets for private animal keeping.
Medicinal purposes
Gorillas have also been going extinct because some parts of gorillas are believed to have charms and magic therefore traditional local healers kill gorillas to use some of the body parts into their charming.
Road construction
The contraction of roads in forests and establishment of logging companies in the gorilla habitats as made it easy for poachers to access gorillas and hence more killing of the great apes yet gorillas have a low reproductive system this is likely to make gorillas extinct.
Mountain gorillas can be trekked at USD 700 in Uganda, USD 400 in Congo and USD 1500 in Rwanda.
Uganda also offers the amazing gorilla habituation experience where tourists can spend up to four hours with researchers in the habituation of mountain gorillas at only USD1500.