To study and learn about our human ancestors from the past, one must look no further than the Gorilla gorilla gorilla, which we share almost 96 percent of DNA with. (Scally, A et al., 2012) These once abundant giants who used to inhabit large areas in Central Africa and surrounding countries, are now on the brink of extinction due to habitat loss, illegal hunting for bush meat and diseases. To prevent the worst outcome from happening, it is essential that we as humans create sustainable strategies that will increase the current Gorilla gorilla gorilla population as well as conserving the unique habitat and ecosystem in which they live in. This paper will discuss in detail, the biology, threats and solutions to help the Gorilla gorilla gorilla.
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Before the 1980s, hunting in gorilla inhabited areas proved to be extremely difficult due to the makeup of the terrain. But due to construction and logging, poachers now have access to previously remote habitats by open access roads and railways used to transport lumber. In Africa, there are harsh laws that exist to protect the Gorilla gorilla gorilla from illegal acts of poaching and are protected under the African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. (Bizi, J., et al., 2015) However, despite these laws set in place, individual’s still hunt the subspecies illegally for the consumption and trade of their meat. To do this, poachers will often use snares and riffles to hunt down these animals whose body parts and flesh can be sold for a large amount of money on the illegal bush meat black …show more content…
Though the conservation of the subspecies is important, the countries where the Gorilla gorilla gorilla live have issues such as poverty, disease and civil unrest that take up an large amount of their resources and attention. Because of this, it is up to the rest of Africa to convince other wealthier countries such as the United States and Canada that protecting the Gorilla gorilla gorilla from extinction is in everybody’s interest. Holding meetings and summits with foreign government officials on a personal level is one way to do so and has proven successful in the past. In 2002, former Secretary of State, Colin Powell launched the Congo Basin Forest Partnership, a program which brings over 70 countries, governments, donors, institutions and organizations together to help promote the conservation of the Congo Basin 's forest ecosystems, home to a large population of Gorilla gorilla gorilla. (“Congo Basin Forest Partnership” n.d.”) Since its inception, the program has raised millions to help educate the Congolese population on sustaining the ecosystem, poaching dangers and importance of biodiversity in their
Before the 1980s, hunting in gorilla inhabited areas proved to be extremely difficult due to the makeup of the terrain. But due to construction and logging, poachers now have access to previously remote habitats by open access roads and railways used to transport lumber. In Africa, there are harsh laws that exist to protect the Gorilla gorilla gorilla from illegal acts of poaching and are protected under the African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. (Bizi, J., et al., 2015) However, despite these laws set in place, individual’s still hunt the subspecies illegally for the consumption and trade of their meat. To do this, poachers will often use snares and riffles to hunt down these animals whose body parts and flesh can be sold for a large amount of money on the illegal bush meat black …show more content…
Though the conservation of the subspecies is important, the countries where the Gorilla gorilla gorilla live have issues such as poverty, disease and civil unrest that take up an large amount of their resources and attention. Because of this, it is up to the rest of Africa to convince other wealthier countries such as the United States and Canada that protecting the Gorilla gorilla gorilla from extinction is in everybody’s interest. Holding meetings and summits with foreign government officials on a personal level is one way to do so and has proven successful in the past. In 2002, former Secretary of State, Colin Powell launched the Congo Basin Forest Partnership, a program which brings over 70 countries, governments, donors, institutions and organizations together to help promote the conservation of the Congo Basin 's forest ecosystems, home to a large population of Gorilla gorilla gorilla. (“Congo Basin Forest Partnership” n.d.”) Since its inception, the program has raised millions to help educate the Congolese population on sustaining the ecosystem, poaching dangers and importance of biodiversity in their