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afrol News, 17 Ocober - On 17 October 1902, the mountain gorilla, Gorilla beringei beringei, became known to science. Today, hundred years after, environmentalists celebrate the narrow success in securing the great ape's survival in the mountain forests of Uganda, Rwanda and Congo Kinshasa (DRC). Over those 100 years, this animal species have had to "endure uncontrolled hunting, war, disease, destruction of its forest habitat, and capture for the illegal pet trade," the conservation group WWF today notes. These factors had led to a dramatic decline in numbers. Indeed, there were fears that the mountain gorilla would become extinct in the same century it was discovered. With the alarm raised, dedicated conservation initiatives had ensured that numbers of this critically endangered mountain gorilla are now slowly increasing. The gorilla population has been growing from 620 in 1989 to approximately 674 today. Half of these gorillas are found in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and the rest in habitat shared by Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, Parc National des Volcans in Northern Rwanda, and the southern sector of Parc National des Virunga in Congo Kinshasa (DRC). The Congolese and Rwandan habitats have on several occasions been the scene of civil war. Despite the recent population gains, the situation for the mountain gorillas is not secured. Habitat loss remains one of the greatest threats to the populations. More than 100,000 people live in the remote areas where mountain gorillas are found. Their obvious need for land to cultivate has reduced the forest in which the gorillas live to virtual islands in the middle of human settlements. During civil strife, the gorilla habitats have been the only safe havens for great numbers of internally displaced people. While western Uganda and Rwanda are at peace, the north-eastern parts of Congo continue to be the scene of heavy fighting among a large number of rebel groups. Internal displacements therefore remain frequent. In order to fight threats against the mountain gorilla populations, WWF, Fauna and Flora International (FFI), and the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) set up the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) in 1991. While the programme's focus is on the wildlife, the complex situation in the area has led the groups to work under the motto of "working to help gorillas, by helping people." Over the past 10 years, the IGCP, together with local communities and park authorities in the three countries have "worked to protect and effectively manage the habitat and the gorilla population, while taking into account the needs of the local population," the groups say. Eco-tourism is one of the key successes of this programme. In some years - when the region was more peaceful - more than 10,000 tourists visited the gorillas. IGCP was helping to promote gorilla-based eco-tourism and works with local guides to ensure the visitors do not adversely affect the animals, the groups say. One goal was to ensure that local communities benefit directly from tourist revenues "and are therefore more involved in protecting the species." - International and national efforts to protect this species have pulled the mountain gorilla back from the brink of extinction, said IGCP Director, Dr Annette Lanjouw. "However, if we want to ensure that mountain gorillas survive another one hundred years, we must ensure that we lift the pressures that still threaten their forest home." Sources: Based on WWF and afrol archives
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