How to save gorillas in Bwindi

How to save gorillas in Bwindi we are going to look at those things you can do to stop mountain gorillas from extinction. Mountain gorillas are endangered species of mountain gorillas and in the whole world, they are less than 1100. Bwindi National park harbors more than half of these mountain gorillas but still, we need to look at how we can save them so that we increase their population.

There are over 700 mountain gorillas in Bwindi National park and these do live in four trekking sectors that were divided in the park. These mountain gorillas live in Buhoma found in the north, Ruhija sector in the east, and Nkuringo as well as Rushaga sector found in the south of the park.

There are different things that can be done by individuals and the government to help save these endangered mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas need to be saved because they are endangered, close relatives to human beings and they attract a lot of travelers into the country which increases government revenue.

Mountain gorillas were facing extinction not until 1980’s when Dian Fossey an American primatologist fought so hard to protect these mountain gorillas and also tell the people how these apes were important to the community and the world. She stayed in volcanoes national park Rwanda protecting these mountain gorillas from poachers and diseases until her death.

Different ways of saving Bwindi gorillas

Donate to gorilla conservation organizations

There are several gorilla conservation organizations that you can donate money to in order to save Bwindi gorillas. These gorilla conservation organizations play an important role in conserving and protecting mountain gorillas in the park. Some of the work done by these organizations is preventing the spread of diseases from wild animals to people and vice versa. They help to bring healthcare closer to the people and mountain gorillas around the park.

Don’t trek mountain gorillas if you are ill

Travelers that are sick aren’t advised to fly into the country to trek mountain gorillas but they are rather advised to postpone the gorilla safari. This is because mountain gorillas are close relatives to human beings and get infected when they come into close contact with a human being who is sick. Commonly spread diseases from people to mountain gorillas are flu and cough. If a traveler wants to trek mountain gorillas, wardens won’t allow them but they will be asked to change the trekking day or be refunded part of the gorilla permit.

Improving security in the park

Insecurity in the park can lead to the destruction of mountain gorilla habitats and its for this matter that the security in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is always tight every day. There are armed rangers in the jingle who go around and inside the national park to make sure that no strangers are within the forest because these can kill mountain gorillas for meat and sale.

Support businesses of the local people

Support the business of local people and visit their homes because the more they share tourism revenue and benefit from the tourism, there are high chances that they will protect the endangered mountain gorillas and their homes. The local people won’t think about poaching and putting snares in jungles which kill animals.

Don’t buy things that are made of gorilla skin

Travelers that want to save mountain gorillas in Bwindi should avoid as much as they can not to buy souvenirs that have animal skin on them. If you buy gifts from them, they will go back to the jungle to poach more animals in order to make new stuff for the next customers. Poachers always use snares to kill these wild animals in the jungles of Bwindi, eat the meat, and dry the skin to make very nice-looking souvenirs.

Book a gorilla safari with a company that donates part of the money to gorilla conservation projects.

While searching for a tour company to organize a Bwindi gorilla safari for you, how about you deal with that one that gives a certain percentage of the money collected to the communities around the park or gorilla conservation organizations?  Africa Adventure Vacations gives about 10% of the money it gets from clients to conservation efforts.

Keep a distance of 7 meters away from the mountain gorillas

Travelers can help to reduce the spread of diseases to mountain gorillas if they avoid standing close to the mountain gorillas. Travelers are taught different rules and regulations of mountain gorilla trekking and one of them is keeping a distance of 7 meters. If the mountain gorillas don’t get diseases from human beings they will keep them safe.

Follow the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking

Apart from keeping 7 meters away from the mountain gorillas, tourists can help to save mountain gorillas by following other rules such as feeding away from the mountain gorillas, distancing yourself from the group while coughing, not smoking near the mountain gorillas, and much more. When you follow the rules and regulations of the gorilla trekking activity, you are conserving mountain gorillas.

Spread the word about mountain gorilla conservation

Travelers can help to save mountain gorillas in Bwindi by telling friends the benefits of Mountain Gorilla conservation and the different things being done to save them. If you tell the people about mountain gorillas, they will also inform others and in the end, gorilla tourism will increase and the money collected from it will be used to conserve these gorillas.