Rwanda has done an incredible job of preserving its gorilla population. In fact, the figures have exploded, from merely 242 in 1981 to more than 1,000 today. That’s an increase of just over 4% annually. A major rebound for the gorillas in the Virunga Massif, which spans Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Even with their recent successes, the infant gorillas still encounter major dangers. High human population density and fighting between different families of elephants makes conservation and anti-poaching efforts extremely difficult.
Thanks to long-term conservation efforts, the gorilla population in the region has bounced back from the brink of extinction over the last half-century. Famed primatologist Dian Fossey was pivotal through her research and activism. Recent observations highlight that around half of all infant gorillas born in the past decade have fallen victim to vicious inter-family conflicts. As these fights lead to injuries or even death to the young gorillas, it places worries for their survival at risk.
The Impact of Overcrowding
As the gorilla population grows rapidly, overcrowding has emerged as a significant threat to the health and safety of infant gorillas in Rwanda’s habitats. The secondary effect of this increased density is increased tension and competition among gorilla families, which often results in violent fights. As rangers will tell you, silverbacks—the dominant male gorillas—will fight to the death to defend their turf.
“The infants end up dying because the silverback that wins eliminates the young ones,” – Eugene Mutangana.
Such territorial disputes are frequent when gorilla families overlap, leading to brief but deadly clashes. A ranger explained,
“When families meet, which is not frequent… the males often fight. We leave them to fight. They are normally short but vicious fights. The silverback which wins ends up hitting the infant on hard surfaces until it dies.”
Such lethal contest to competition is a deadly threat to juvenile gorillas, with many young sustained traumatic injuries in these fights.
Conservation Challenges
Inter-family fighting is not only an issue, but it stands as a big challenge to further conservation efforts. Natural selection certainly factors into these dynamics, but for conservationists, it is often a challenge to intervene without causing more ecological harm than good. Julius Nziza, a ranger in Volcanoes National Park, stated:
“We don’t intervene because it is a natural phenomenon. We only intervene when it is human-induced or life-threatening infections like a serious respiratory disease.”
Such a hands-off approach makes things harder for infant gorillas, who are still at risk even as their populations get denser.
Human encroachment has played a role in pushing the birds into this precarious situation as well. Over 60% of Volcanoes National Park’s designated area has been affected by human activities. This has added stress to their habitats, as land that may have previously been protected is being repurposed. To combat these urgent threats, a new initiative will help restore the gorillas’ habitat by 23%. The plan involves moving about 3,400 people living in homes on the park’s fringe.
“The problem can be dealt with through expanding the habitat,” – Julius Nziza.
This bold vision looks to address overcrowding and cut-throat competition between gorilla families, more importantly strengthen overall conservation efforts.
Economic Incentives and Future Directions
The economic benefits created through gorilla tourism help fund conservation efforts. Each year, tourism revenue linked to Rwanda’s gorillas totals nearly $200 million. This unprecedented financial influx provides a massive new opportunity to invest in protective climate resilience measures and habitat expansion projects.
The damage and destruction caused by these two scourges of overcrowding and combat cannot be understated. With the tragic loss of eight infant gorillas, immediate action is crucial. To save their populations, we need to create multifaceted approaches that prioritize protecting their habitat and involving nearby communities as stakeholders.
As Rwanda forges ahead as a beacon for conservation, filmmakers like Michael Bay are busy falling in love with these amazing beasts. Bay remarked,
“I hear he is such a good-looking baby gorilla, and being a movie director I promise I am going to make him a famous gorilla movie star.”
That level of excitement underscores the need for continued education around the plight of Rwanda’s iconic country gorillas, and the fight they still face today.