Gorilla populations have been decreasing in numbers for centuries. Conservation efforts, however, have helped the species transition from “critically endangered” to “endangered” status as of 2018, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
While this is a reason for celebration, gorilla overcrowding has become a critical issue in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Phys.org reported.
What’s happening?
A naming ceremony in Rwanda introduced 40 infant gorillas, but conservationists predict that only around half of the babies will survive.
Inter-family gorilla fights, Phys.org said, have threatened the lives of young gorillas, who are often killed by the winning male gorillas in the aftermath of territory battles. Extreme temperatures reportedly played a role, as well.
“When families meet, which is not frequent … the males often fight,” an unnamed park ranger told AFP, per Phys.org.
The gorillas, as their populations grow, are living in limited space. These combined factors have increased the frequency of fights, resulting in the deaths of several infants, combating the years of conservation efforts made in the animals’ favor.
Grieving mothers, Phys.org said, isolate themselves from males.
“It is a sad sight,” the ranger said on this.
Why are gorillas important?
While infant gorillas face death in the midst of successful conservation efforts, not only does the future of the species suffer, but biodiversity in the area does, as well.
The Congo basin, according to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, is the second-largest tropical rainforest remaining on our planet. The basin, which gorillas are native to, has been deemed “the lungs of the planet.”
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Because of its role in cleaning the air, the Congo basin relies on biodiversity to maintain the equilibrium that births clean oxygen.
Gorillas play a vital role in ensuring this balance. The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund says the animals protect the land by dispersing seeds, letting in the light, maintaining plant species, and supporting balance in the lives of other species living in the basin.
What’s being done about gorilla overcrowding?
Phys.org reported that Rwanda launched a program to expand the gorillas’ habitat by 23%. While this effort will relocate human households, it has the potential to resurrect gorillas by giving distance between families in the species.
With more land to call home, gorillas will kill infants much less frequently, thus protecting the species and the planet.
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