~ Mother Earthbeats ~

I really love it when I have good news to share. The recent find of a large population of lowland gorillas in the Republic of the Congo, alive and totally thriving, is to my eyes a great find indeed! The Wildlife Conservation Society released a recent census which has astounding numbers. According to the new census, they have tallied more than 125,000 of these elusive gorillas in two adjacent areas in the northern part of the country, covering an area of 18,000 square miles (47,000 square kilometers). It is said that previous estimates from the 1980s placed the entire population of western lowland gorillas, which occur in seven Central African nations, at less than 100,000. However, according to popular belief, scientists had believed that this number had at least halved, due to hunting and disease.

WCS says a combination of factors led to such high numbers of gorillas including: successful long-term conservation management of the Republic of Congo’s protected areas; remoteness and inaccessibility of some of the key locations where the gorillas were found; and a food-rich habitat, particularly in some of the swamp forests and the herb-rich “Marantaceae” forests.

While this is excellent news indeed, now we need to work fast to make sure protections are put in place for these precious creatures. There is always the danger of potential deforestation as well as illegal poaching, now that this discovery has been made public. Across Central Africa, gorillas face the looming threats of hunting for bushmeat and the spread of the Ebola virus, which is lethal to gorillas as well as humans. WCS is working with partners to combat Ebola, eliminate commercial hunting, and secure this last stronghold for Africa’s apes. WCS cautioned that many of the gorillas live outside of existing protected areas, though the Government of Congo has committed to creating a new national park in the Ntokou-Pikounda region.

Let’s just hope folks sit up and listen, and realize how important it is for us to protect our wildlife and wild places, for the resources they provide in the long term are so very precious. Nature provides so many treasures and as stewards of this planet we must preserve the green world and the wild creatures who help create the balance.

For more detailed information you may wish to visit Wildlife Conservation Society

Here is a great place to get some amazing Gorilla Facts!