HOW ARE MOUNTAIN GORILLAS PROTECTED IN RWANDA AND UGANDA?

Do you want to know How Mountain Gorillas are protected in Rwanda and Uganda? Do you want to know why it is important to protect mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda? This brief article takes you through how it is done and why.

Mountain gorillas, regarded as great apes of Africa are among the most magnificent and critically endangered creatures on planet Earth. It is estimated from the current gorilla census that fewer than 1,100 individuals stay in the wild forests of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga National Park and Volcanoes National Park in Uganda and Rwanda respectively.

Every effort made by the governments of Uganda and Rwanda to protect these mountain gorillas in their natural habitat is enormous. It involves gazetting all areas where these mountain gorillas stay as National Park, creating monitoring teams against anti-poaching, controlled visits through ecotourism and minimum numbers per day, veterinary care by specialized doctors, cross and transboundary conservation efforts among others.

Because of the concerted efforts towards protecting these mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda, the exciting news is that, unlike other critically endangered ape species, mountain gorilla populations in Rwanda and Uganda have been slowly and steadily growing — a rare and welcome conservation success campaign.

This magnificent recovery and increment in mountain gorilla numbers in Rwanda and Uganda national parks is a result of decades of well-planned and coordinated effort between governments of both countries, conservation bodies, local communities around these national parks, and responsible tourism encouraged by Rwanda and Uganda tour operators and other stakeholders.

STEPS TAKEN TO PROTECT MOUNTAIN GORILLAS IN RWANDA AND UGANDA

Uganda and Rwanda are home to the majority of mountain gorillas in the whole world. Volcanoes National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga  National Park in Rwanda and Uganda respectively are home to these rare creatures.

As earlier noted, the governments of Rwanda and Uganda in conjunction with conservation organizations have put measure to ensure that these mountain gorillas are protected for future generations.

Below are ways in which mountain gorillas have been protected in Rwanda and Uganda.

PROTECTED GORILLA NATIONAL PARKS IN RWANDA AND UGANDA:

To create a safe environment for mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda, both governments declared the homes where these gorillas stay to be gazetted as a National Park.

Protected National Parks in Rwanda and Uganda provide the most effective way of protecting mountain gorillas all activities that are likely to endanger mountain gorillas and the entire ecosystem are controlled and protected by both governments.

It’s because of this that encroachment on forests, hunting and other activities that affect mountain gorillas and their habitats in Rwanda and Uganda national parks have been checked.

Credit goes to the two bodies in charge of managing National Parks in Rwanda and Uganda. In Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park is under Rwanda Development Board while Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks are under Uganda Wildlife Authority. These bodies ensure that security for mountain gorillas and their habitats is always looked after.

ANTI-POACHING CAMPAIGNS AND DAILY MONITORING

Both Rwanda and Uganda use Anti-poaching and daily monitoring of their national parks as the most effective tools in gorilla conservation and protection.

Rwanda Development Board and Uganda Wildlife Authority employ well-trained, professional and passionate rangers who patrol these national parks on a daily basis. Ranger units in Rwanda and Uganda conduct regular and intentional patrols, monitor poacher as well as monitoring the movement of mountain gorilla families to ensure their safety.

As a custom in Rwanda and Uganda, each habituated mountain gorilla family is visited every day by a team of rangers, trackers and researchers who record health status, social behavior of each family, new births or deaths, and movements of each. This routine monitoring ensures rapid response to anything that may affect the safety and health of mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda.

INTERVATION OF INTERNATIONAL CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS

Volcanoes National Park, Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park were declared as UNESCO World Heritage, meaning that their conservation and being there is a responsibility of not only Rwanda and Uganda but the entire world.

Bodies like UNESCO, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, IUCN have come in to provide funds, training of rangers in partnership with governments of Uganda and Rwanda. This effort has ensured that funds are available to support the protection of mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda.

CONTROLLED TOURIST VISITS PER FAMILY PER DAY

Tourism and visiting mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda has helped to create global awareness and the need to conserve and protect mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda while earning income that has in turn been used to fund activities geared towards conservation and protection of these endangered creatures.

Every gorilla habituated gorilla family in Rwanda and Rwanda is restricted to only 8 people and for one hour. This is to done to not only earn income but to ensure that people who visit these gorillas can appreciate why these gorillas need a life.

The funds from gorilla permit sales in Rwanda and Uganda assist in paying rangers, trackers as well as all staff involved in protecting mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda. A Certain percentage off the money raised from sells of gorilla permits is dedicated to projects geared to community projects and development.

In Rwanda, a gorilla permit costs $1500 person and $800 in Uganda. A portion of this is dedicated to the conservation of mountain gorilla National Parks in Rwanda and Uganda.

VETERINARY CARE AND HEALTH INTERVENTIONS

The governments of Rwanda and Uganda, in conjunction with conservation bodies have dedicated teams of veterinary doctors to take care of diseases that affect mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Gorilla Doctors established by the mountain gorilla Veterinary projects are in charge of making sure that all ill individuals are treated, snares setup by poachers removed and all habituated mountain gorilla families are monitored on a regular basis.

This and other efforts have led to an environment where the number of mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda have steadily increased overtime.

COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND INVOLVEMENT

Perhaps one of the most innovation towards protecting mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda has been a deliberate inclusion of local communities around these national parks in the process of conservation and protection.

In the past, the governments of Rwanda and Uganda preferred forced methods neglecting the role of local communities living near the parks forgetting that these communities were the custodians of these habitats where their survival depended.

However, with the involvement of the local community in the protection and conservation of mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda by sensitizing them, creating direct jobs such as rangers and porters, revenue sharing program where 20% of all gate fees go to the communities around these parks has led to the community appreciating the benefits of protecting these great apes.

HABITAT PROTECTION AND REFORESTATION IN RWANDA AND UGANDA

Mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda need forests located in hilly environments for them to survive — hence the name “Mountain Gorillas”. Over time, Habitat loss in Rwanda and Uganda remains one of the most dangerous and long-term threats to mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park as well as Mgahinga and Bwindi.

Deforestation by the local communities staying around or near these parks for agriculture, charcoal production, and settlement has reduced forest size in both countries.

To counter this, buffer zones around Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks have been created and maintained by Rwanda Development Board and Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Reforestation programs have been encouraged by the governments of Rwanda and Uganda to plant more trees on degraded land.

CROSS-BORDER CONSERVATION EFFORTS

Just like other wild animals, Mountain gorillas in Africa do not recognize marked national borders between neighboring countries. The Virunga ranges shared by three countries of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo houses three National Parks of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Virunga National Park in DRC and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda.

Because it is one forest, habituated and non-habituated mountain gorillas freely move from one country to another a situation that affects their conservation and protection. But thanks to the concerted efforts of the three nations under the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration (GVTC) that has ensured that gorillas in the greater Virunga massive are protected through join operations, law enforcement and regular meetings and deliberations on how to manage and protect these creatures.

FINAL THOUGHTS AND HOW YOU CAN BE PART

The conservation and protection of mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda is one of Africa’s great success stories recorded. Mountain gorilla numbers have increased over time in both countries due to the above-mentioned efforts.

You can be part of this successful story by choosing to visit Rwanda or Uganda by booking one of our safaris to trek gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Virunga National Park.

Encounter Africa Safaris is a well proven Safari company licensed by the Uganda Tourism Board and Member of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO). We have assembled a team of motivated office and field staff who are available 24/7 to assist you in all your tour arrangements.

We are highly reviewed of platforms such as TripAdvisor as well as Safari bookings so you can book a gorilla tour to Uganda and Rwanda with confidence.