How to contribute to Gorilla conservation
How to contribute to Gorilla conservation
How can we conserve gorillas and their habitats in Uganda?
About half of the remaining 1063 mountain gorillas live in Uganda. Specifically, they live within Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Although the number of these large apes is on the increase, there is still a need for more efforts to ensure that they continue thriving for future generations to come. This raises questions on How to contribute to Gorilla conservation. This article answers the above question.
Challenges to conservation
Mountain gorillas face multiple threats that impact their survival in the wild. These include the spread of infectious diseases, poaching, habitat loss, and others. There has been a successful conservation story about these apes thanks to the collective participation of stakeholders.
There are many ways one can play a part in conserving gorillas and their habitats. Due to the gradual increase in mountain gorilla numbers, the IUCN listed them as endangered species.
These live in 2 regions: the Virunga Conservation Area and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The Virunga Conservation Area has three national parks. these include Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, and Virunga National Park in DR Congo. The recent census indicates that about 1063 mountain gorillas still reside in the wild and these apes don’t live in the zoo. Half of those are in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Here are the different ways that you can conserve gorillas and their habitats.
How to contribute to gorilla conservation- the best solutions
Go for gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda, or DR Congo
The most effective way to engage in the conservation of mountain gorillas and other wildlife is by embarking on a gorilla tour. By booking a gorilla tour in Uganda, you contribute 100% of the budget needed to facilitate conservation activities in the respective gorilla safari parks.
All participants in gorilla trekking require valid gorilla permits and these are obtainable at a cost. Interestingly, Uganda is a budget-friendly gorilla tour destination offering permits at USD800 per person. If you want to spend more time with gorillas, you can opt for gorilla habituation. Each permit costs USD 1500 but guarantees 4 hours of close interaction.
The largest part of the fees paid on gorilla permits and safaris goes to cover the costs of gorillas and other wildlife plus their habitats. These include facilitating law enforcement officers. These do the daily monitoring of the parks to ensure no poachers enter the park. The poachers carry out illegal activities such as poaching. The other money is used to pay scientists/researchers and veterinary doctors who treat sick animals. The other money supports local projects such as goat rearing.
Donate to any of the gorilla conservation organizations
Several organizations take part in conserving wildlife, especially gorillas. These include the International Gorilla Conservation Programme, Uganda Wildlife Authority, and Gorilla Doctors. Others include the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund, Conservation through Public Health, and others.
Don’t visit mountain gorillas when sick/suspect yourself to be ill
Mountain gorillas share a percentage of 98.2% of their DNA with humans. This makes them susceptible to infectious human diseases. To limit any further spread of infectious human diseases, only visitors with no illnesses engage in the gorilla trekking experience.
Keep the gorilla habitat clean & never destroy it
Mountain gorillas have one area to stay and that is in the natural forests. On a gorilla trek, you must keep the habitat clean. Carry back all the used containers like bottles of drinking water, etc. You should not destroy or contaminate the park’s vegetation.
Always observe the 7-8 meters distance from gorillas
The standard distance you must keep away from gorillas is 7-8 meters. You should maintain it at all times from the very first time you set foot to search for gorilla families. Observing that interaction space with these apes saves them from contracting infectious diseases.
Participate in community activities or purchase their products
Wildlife/gorilla conservation is not only for the park authorities but also for other stakeholders. These include communities living adjacent to the protected areas. There are important community projects to visit during the gorilla tour in these countries. They include the Batwa pygmies community living adjacent to Bwindi and Mgahinga NP.
Plan your safari
You may now know and have an interest in gorilla trekking and how to contribute to gorilla conservation. The next step is now to look for a trusted and experienced tour operator like Safari Vacations and Travel Services. We will organize a gorilla trip for you according to your budget and time. We also do wildlife safaris, horseback safaris, and other tourism services. Book with us for an ultimate tourism experience.
