Are Gorillas Doomed? Is the UN making a huge mistake?

by Daniel Hohler on Feb.15, 2010, under Favorite, Writing

Problem

Almost one half of non-human primates are at risk of extinction, and none more so than gorillas. Gorillas are disappearing at an alarming rate, mostly a victim of their surroundings. Political unrest, wars, poachers, miners, and loggers all converging in a perfect storm of brutality and human depravity, killing one of our closest living relatives. Gorilla’s DNA is 98-99% an exact match for human DNA, just barely trailing our closest living relatives (genus Pan, chimpanzees and bonobos). Unfortunately for the gorillas, they occupy a region rich in tin, diamonds, gold and coltan (a rare mineral used to create capacitors for cellphones, games consoles and laptops).

There are actually 2 different species of gorillas, and up to 6 different sub-species, although there is some debate about lumping or splitting the phylogeny. It makes little difference as all species of gorillas are endangered. All live in tropical or sub tropical areas of Africa. Gorillas are highly intelligent. Famously, the gorilla Koko was taught American Sign Language. She understands over 2,000 words and carries on conversations. Koko also cares for several cats, one of the few non-humans to have pets.

UN’s Solution to the Problem

At the dawn of this year, the United Nations declared 2009 “The Year of The Gorilla.” With good reason, despite conservation efforts, gorilla populations continue to plummet. If all of the warring, political unrest, poaching, logging, and destroying of habitat were not enough of a threat, there has been a recent outbreak of Ebola Virus which has devastated gorilla populations. Ebola has an even higher mortality rate in gorillas than it does in humans.

The UN’s plan is to link gorilla conservation with reducing global poverty by 2015. The logic is to eliminate people’s need to chop down forest or hunt for bushmeat by eliminating poverty. The plan provides for the creation of parks to provide jobs and, if you can turn gorillas into tourist attractions, then enough money will flow in to convince even the poorest African governments to protect gorillas.

Why Many Say the UN’s Plan is a Mistake

It has all the check marks of a well rounded plan. Help humans? Check. Help gorillas? Check. Eliminate poverty? Check. However, many gorilla experts are not buying what the UN is selling. They argue that by the time all of these parks are set up, poverty eliminated, local governments convinced to protect gorillas, it will be too late. The critics believe that gorillas are disappearing too quickly for this plan to work, and if poaching isn’t stopped, there won’t be any gorillas to provide jobs or attract tourist dollars. Plus with the political unrest in many areas of Africa, tourist parks cannot be run efficiently enough to protect the gorillas.

“If you try to make saving gorillas a development issue, then you will fail.” - Peter Walsh, expert on Gorilla Distribution.

Many see the UN’s plan as too long term. The problem for many conservationists is that they believe that there will not be a long term for gorillas if urgent action is not taken now. They argue that the only thing that money should be spent on at the moment is putting an end to hunting, which kills thousands of gorillas every year, and preventing outbreaks of Ebola.

“Unless drastic action is taken, more than 80 per cent of western lowland gorillas will have gone in just three gorilla generations.” - Fiona Maisels, surveyor for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

Gorillas are already protected by law in all 10 countries they habituate. That has not stopped poachers and bushmeat hunters. Hunting remains a big business on the black market, with the selling of gorilla heads as trophies and gorilla hands as ashtrays, and bushmeat is sold openly even in major towns. However, with local governments in disarray there is little anyone can do about enforcing the gorilla protection. Many argue that the time for diplomacy is over. It is time to take action.

“Half the funds for gorilla conservation should be immediately redirected towards massive law enforcement campaigns.” - Peter Walsh

Conclusion

As someone who has studied gorillas up close, my heart is broken by these hard times. When you look into a gorillas eyes you see a gentleness that washes over you. They are relatively peaceful species especially compared to their cousins, chimpanzees, bonobos, and especially humans. These are not the brutes or beasts that have been portrayed in the movies. We have heard the story of the little boy falling into a gorilla pen, only to be picked up and consoled by a waiting gorilla.

I think back to Dian Fosse who was sent to study gorillas after the success of Jane Goodall with chimps. Dian Fossey crusaded for gorillas, thwarting poachers whenever she could. Outspoken and an activist, Fosse brought on the wrath of poachers. When poachers decapitated and left the body of her favorite gorilla in her study group, Digit (for a price of $20), it caused her to redouble her efforts, creating The Digit Fund for anti-poaching. Dian Fossey was brutally murdered by machete, a conspiracy perpetrated by either poachers who wanted her out of the way, or those who wanted to exploit gorillas as tourist attractions. Fossey was buried next to Digit. Her friend.

When I think back to Fossey, it angers me that sacrifices she made for these intelligent creatures could all be in vain.

Is it too late? Is the UN making a huge mistake? I applaud the UN for taking action. In declaring 2009 “The Year of the Gorilla.” But, it scares me that many gorilla experts believe that it is too late for the UN’s plan of action. What can we do?

What can you do?

Recycle your old cell phones - Reduce the demand for coltan. Eco-Cell has run a cash-for-phones scheme since 2003 and now has drop bins at more than 100 zoos in both the US and Canada. Eco-Cell also accepts all digital handhelds including Game Boys.
Check for the FSC logo on timber products - FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council. They insure lumber is not taken from remote forests, creating roads for commercial hunters.
Write to your Member of Congress and raise three issues - Ask them for more funding to fight Ebola, to stop imports of non-certified wood into Europe and the US, and to push for the EU and USAID to do more to address the problem of bushmeat hunting.
Donate money, but check where it’s going - check out www.wildlifedirect.org. It is a good place to start.

The UN’s plan may or may not work, time will tell, but it is up to all of us to take action now. We can not watch idly by as one of our family members is destroyed. Gorillas are part of our primate family, and we should start treating them as such.

-Sources: Pain, Stephanie “Last Chance to Save the Gorilla” New Scientist #2718. July, 2009.

-Photo Credit: Title Picture: Twilight Earth; Insert Picture: mape_s on Flickr

Originally Published: http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/07/29/are-gorillas-doomed-is-the-un-making-a-huge-mistake/