The survival of the Mountain Gorilla

Officially discovered by Captain Robert von Beringe on 17th October 1902 the Mountain Gorilla, sharing 98.6% of our nuclear DNA is our closest living relative. However, the plight of these magnificent creatures, which has been well documented in recent years, is a worrying one as they sit among the top ten most endangered species in the world. Now recognising that there is a real possibility that the Mountain Gorillas will disappear from our planet forever the United Nations has decided to make 2009 the 'Year of the Gorilla' in one of the largest campaigns to save them to date.

A recent census found there to be approximately 700 Mountains Gorillas left in the world, with around half of this number being found in the Virunga Mountains which border Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo and half in Uganda's Bwindi National Park. Despite the gorilla population being terrifyingly low this figure actually brought some encouragement as a similar census in 1987 showed the population to be a mere 248.

These fascinating mammals was first really brought to the attention of the world by Dr. Dian Fossey who dedicated years of her life to studying the gorillas in the Virunga Mountains - a journey which was immortalised in the film Gorillas in the Mist. As day after day was spent observing the gorillas Dian began to be accepted into their complex family structure, eventually able to spend time with them, as one of them. Tragically Dian Fossey was to pay for these remarkable friendships with her life, murdered at her Karisoke Research Centre on 26th December 1985. Dian's work however was not in vain and today the Mountain Gorillas are supported by numerous organisations, all with the aim of securing their future.

Organisations such as The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International and the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund have ensured that awareness of our endangered species continues to grow. In the case of the Mountain Gorilla, as with most other endangered species its survival will depend on our ability to assist and educate the communities who share these beautiful regions with them, many of whom face a daily struggle simply to survive.

Mountain Gorillas are actually very rarely killed for bush meat, their threat comes from habitat loss due to logging and slash-and-burn agriculture, ensnarement by traps set for other animals, high fees paid for trophies such as their hands and feet and the capture of young gorillas for pets. Mountain Gorillas are fiercely protective of their young and will fight to the death to protect an infant within their family structure and therefore the capture often results in the death of at least one adult gorilla as well as the loss of the infant.

As Africa becomes increasingly popular as a tourist destination the knowledge that many parts of this incredible continent need our help is becoming more and more widespread and thankfully with this comes increased funding. The key here is not giving endless charity but instead providing these communities with the means to be independent without having to rely on unsustainable natural resources. The provision of and education to look after livestock, sustainable agricultural training, the teaching of skills such as soap making and hairdressing, education and the availability of healthcare are just a few of the projects currently in place. The UN particularly is focusing on bringing "recovery-focused projects" to the Democratic Republic of Congo where armed conflicts have caused even further devastation to an already struggling nation.

Tourism is also specifically helping this fight to save the Mountain Gorilla with strictly limited numbers of visitors having the incredible opportunity to head out into the rainforest in search of these magnificent beasts each year. With the Virunga Mountains in Rwanda being most easily accessible and also having the largest number of families being tracked at present this is the most popular place to enjoy what is without question an experience of a lifetime. Staying either inside or just outside the Virunga National Park the adventure begins with some quite serious hiking as you make your way through the rain forest on a journey which may take up to four or five hours. As you eventually reach a clearing however any tiredness escapes you as just metres away a family of Mountain Gorilla carry on with their daily routine unperturbed by your presence thanks to the gentle clicking of the trackers with whom they have become familiar. Spending a maximum of one hour observing the gorillas, visitors have the opportunity to take some remarkable photos as you stand silently watching arguably the most majestic creature on Earth.

There is no doubt that the fight to save the Mountain gorilla will not be an easy one and trials will be faced along the way. I am confident however that with the help and passion of initially just a few and now the thousands, quite possibly millions who have made their own donations in all manner of ways this will be a battle where the Mountain gorilla will reign victorious.