header: Gorilla
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line Gorilla gorilla Savage and Wyman 1847


THREATS

Habitat loss and degradation is the major threat to gorilla populations.14,16,20,34 African lowland and montane forests are rapidly being destroyed to make way for food production uses such as cropping and livestock grazing. In CentralAfrica, c ommercial logging and petroleum exploitation are becoming an increasingly significant threat to the habitat of the gorilla.

International trade in live gorillas and gorilla products, which was once a significant threat to the species, has declined since the gorilla was listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora ( CITES) in 1977. The internal trade in bushmeat, which occurs over much of the Lowland Gorillas' ranges, is now more of a threat. It has been estimated that at least 20 gorillas per annum are killed in Cameroon for food, while, at most, one enters trade. 18 Illegal trade in gorillas continues, in early 1995 a juvenile male gorilla was seized by Philippine customs.30

In the dry season when food is scarce gorillas sometimes raid crops, consequently, local people hunt them to protect their plantations and to obtain fresh meat (particularly prized for its curative properties).18In some societies the use of gor illa products is traditional: in southern Cameroon, gorilla hair is believed to protect landowners against spells, and, attaching a gorilla digit to the hips of a pregnant woman is thought to ensure the vigour of her newborn child. 18

Gorillas are frequently maimed or killed throughout their range by traps and snares intended for other animals, particularly game species such as Bushbuck and Black-fronted Duiker. In 1988, patrols in the Parc National des Volcans reported cutting more th an 2,000 illegal traps.1 During 1995 the killing of Mountain Gorillas escalated. In March 1995, four Mountain Gorillas were killed by poachers in Bwindi-Impenetrable National Park, probably in order to capture one or more infants,26 and three silverback males and a female were killed in the Parc National Des Virungas. The loss of a silverback is very significant because the groups unity and composition is severely affected.31

A potential threat to gorillas is exposure to human diseases which particularly affects groups of habituated gorillas which come in close contact with humans in areas where gorilla tourism is promoted.

Civil War in Rwanda and the former Zaïre: Armed conflict between two ethnic groups in Rwanda broke out in 1990, escalated in 1994, and led to the exodus of large numbers of refugees.3,22At the end of 1994, 700,000 Rwandan refugees were accommodated in camps at the edge of the Parc National des Virunga (PNVi) in the former Zaïre. The presence of refugees led to uncontrolled firewood harvesting and an increase of poaching in the Park. During the Rwandan conflict, park headquarters of the Parc National des Volcans (PNV) in Rwanda was ransacked and destroyed38. During the period of fiercest conflict, staff temporarily evacuated key Mountain Gorilla research facilities (the Office Rwandais du Tourism et Parcs Nationaux, the Karis oke Research Centre and Virungas Veterinary Centre). 3,9 Prior to the conflict, nature-based tourism formed a significant part of the Rwandan economy, creating sufficient revenue to support the running of the Park. Although the new government i s aware of the importance of gorilla conservation to economic reconstruction, it is largely dependent on aid from relief organisations.3,14,19 In the aftermath of the war, the new Ministry of Environment and Tourism has called on IGCP to help r ebuild Rwanda's tourism industry (see below) 38.

The Rwandan refugees left the camps around the PNVi in October-November 1996, which eased pressure on the Park. But a war of liberation broke out in the former Zaire in 1996 as forces loyal to President Kabila ousted those of the late President Mobutu. In late 1996, the infrastructure of the PNVi in DRC was shattered and all the equipment looted by retreating troops. In 1996 and 1997, the presence of armed militias made survey and conservation work difficult and often impossible in many of the country's protected areas.


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