Gorilla Doctors: Saving Endangered Great Apes

Mountain gorillas are playful, curious, beautiful, and fiercely protective of their families. They are also one of the most endangered species in the world. For many years, mountain gorillas have faced the threat of death at the hands of poachers. Funds raised by “gorilla tourism”––bringing people into the forest to see these majestic animals––have helped protect gorillas. This tourism is vital, but close contact between gorillas and people has brought a new threat to the mountain gorillas: human disease.The Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project is a group of courageous and talented scientists working to save the mountain gorilla population in Rwanda and Uganda. The “Gorilla Doctors” study the effects of human exposure, document the daily lives of the gorillas, provide emergency care to injured animals, and even act as foster parents to an orphaned gorilla baby named Fearless.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *