Rwanda gorillas conservation success

These are mountain gorillas. In 1980, there were only 100 gorillas in the world. Now, there are 1,000.

The gorillas need more space. They are safe in the national parks in Africa's Virunga Mountains. Many gorillas live in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. But the park is too small.

Prosper Uwingeli manages the park.

Prosper Uwingeli: "We have seen challenges, and the challenges of the habitat. Because in the past 60, 50 years, the park lost 54 percent of the size of the park. And when our effort were put in a place to – for the mountain gorilla population to, to recover to the current numbers – you know, the habitat has not changed."

Gorilla groups now fight each other a lot. Adults and babies die in the fights. Felix Ndagjimana manages a gorilla fund in Rwanda.

Felix Ndagijimana: "The interactions themselves changed in the sense that they became very violent, and during this period, we recorded seven silverbacks' death. So that's again is a consequence of more groups ranging in the same area – really not expanding and going to, to the rest of the park. And that leading to more intergroup interactions, and then more infanticides."

Tourism helped to save mountain gorillas. But now gorillas aren't afraid of people. They come into villages to find food. Gorillas could get sick from humans. New plans for the park will move some villages away from gorilla areas.

10 percent of money from tourism goes to local communities. This helps to change people's ideas about gorillas. They aren't scary. They're part of the community's future. Weniger anzeigen