Why is gorillas endangered

All of which helps to ensure that management and policy decisions are based on good quality scientific data. On an approximately five year cycle we help to census the remaining mountain gorilla populations, giving an estimation of population numbers and distribution. Our vision for a trillion trees to be restored, saved from loss, and better protected around the world, by Mountain gorillas: close relatives at risk.

Adopt a mountain gorilla. Virunga-Bwindi: their home. About mountain gorillas Why they matter Challenges affecting moutain gorillas How we're helping Adopt a mountain gorilla. Mountain gorilla species: Mountain gorillas. Endangered Around remain Gorilla beringei beringei Affected by: Human wildlife conflict , Habitat loss and fragmentation , Extractives.

Where mountain gorillas live. The hunting, trading and consumption of gorillas — and other apes — is almost universally illegal in all Congo Basin countries.

However, poaching continues unabated due to a lack of enforcement of national and international laws, coupled with ineffective judiciary systems. Bushmeat The commercial trade in bushmeat, which occurs throughout west and central Africa, is today the biggest threat to gorillas.

Apes are being killed to primarily to supply high-end demand for meat in urban centers, where the consumption of ape meat is considered to be prestigious amongst the wealthy elite.

Estimating numbers of gorillas poached is difficult because they are often butchered and eaten on the spot, or their meat is smoked for later sale in towns. Although gorillas may constitute only a small proportion of all animals killed for the bushmeat trade, they present easy targets for hunters, and in many areas gorillas are favoured by hunters because of the weight of saleable meat. Gorillas are also frequently maimed or killed by traps and snares intended for other forest animals such as antelopes.

Traditional medicine and live animal trade Gorillas are also sought after as pets or trophies and for their body parts, which are used in medicine and as magical charms. More on illegal wildlife trade.

Habitat loss. Why are gorillas nearing extinction? Mountain gorillas were almost becoming extinct on the 19 th 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. 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.

One of the main reasons as to why gorillas are going extinct is the need for bush meat, poachers tend to poach gorillas for monetarypurposes. Gorillas l ive in the Congo basin, in the second-largest tropical rainforest left on earth, a forest that plays a critical role in our fight against climate change.

Gorillas play an important part in keeping these lungs healthy, dispersing seeds, letting in light, and shaping plant communities within the forest. Their forest habitat is home to numerous other species, many themselves endangered. Protecting gorillas helps protect these other vital plants, animals and insects as well.

Back in camp, I reflect on the forest I have seen around me. It contains giant trees and is full of marvelously adapted insects. But more than a gathering of organisms this forest showcases what a tropical rainforest is all about: being a complex web of interactions. The human-gorilla connection. People rely on the forest and its environs for food, health and income; we give them the tools and education that allow them to thrive without going into the forest.

We offer mushroom and bamboo cultivation programs that give people a reliable source of protein and income. We lead Conservation Clubs in primary and secondary schools so that children grow up understanding their connection to the nearby forest and take pride in their biodiverse land. And we offer training for college students at Karisoke, along with scholarships our own staff members, because we want to support the next generation of African conservationists.