What Threats Do Mountain Gorillas Face?

What Threats Do Mountain Gorillas Face?

What Threats Do Mountain Gorillas Face? Gorillas are the largest primates in the wild and play a great role of ecological in the forest of East Africa and Central Africa .Despite the fact of their economic ,cultural and aesthetic value to many people worldwide. Although the future of gorillas is at high risk. The primary threats are poaching ;habitat degradation ,mining ,logging ,diseases like Ebola ,flu ,cough ,and agriculture.

Habitat loss

Where mountain gorillas stay it’s a remote area and its surrounded by a lot of people who had made the land to cultivate thus reducing the forest in which the gorillas live virtual islands in the middle of expanding human settlements. The cultivation of this  forest has made the endangered mountain gorillas homeless and this destruction affects the reproduction process because they are not instability affected.

Traditional medicine

Several parts of the gorillas are highly sought after for magical charms by the traditional healers hence causing a threat to their existence.

Hunting

Its another cause of a threat in mountain gorillas ,meaning mountain gorillas are illegally hunted for trophies and live infants .And in so doing they may kill the leader of the family ‘’silverback’’ thus affecting the reproduction process or causing death to mature gorillas and end up living the young ones with no help. Most people in Democratic Republic of Congo usually hunt gorillas for meat and leading to decline in their existence.

Oil and Gas exploration

The European oil and gas companies have extremely granted exploration concessions in Virunga National Park  ,a home to mountain gorillas in Congo. Something affecting the animal’s security .

Diseases

Since mountain gorillas share a close DNA to humans of 98% can easily be transmitted to air born diseases like flu ,diarrohea ,cough ,Covid-19 which may threaten them to decline.

Wildlife trade

Mountain gorillas also face illegal wildlife trade ,as poachers tend to kill them and other animals like elephants .The unrest in their protective habitat has made them to scare way and run to places where they can survival from death.

War and Instability

According to Virunga national park and other protected areas ,the civil unrest and the presence of armed militias makes survey and conservation work difficult in the Democratic Republic of Congo ,which are now in rebel held territory.