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| Perspective |
The gorilla is fierce, powerful, and strong. Living at elevations from 8,000 to 13,000 ft gorillas are intense beasts. Weighing over 400 pounds, gorillas are not to be messed with.
Gorillas also have thick fur allowing them to live through sub-zero temperatures. However, as pesky humans slowly take the mountain gorilla's habitat they are forced father up the mountain, where it is colder and colder. Even the manliest of gorillas can't sustain through the deadly conditions the higher you go.
To give a perspective of the current gorilla population I'll give some comparisons and statistics. Discovered in 1902, gorillas would go on to endure wars, disease, and poaching. In fact it was thought they would surely be extinct by the end of the 20th century. In 1989 the population would grow dangerously low, to 620 gorillas. To compare, here is an image of about 600 people.
Now although the gorilla population was low, it began to rise again and is currently at 786 gorillas today.
To elaborate deeper on why gorillas are threatened and going extinct its because of three main reasons: war, disease, and poaching. In 1990 there was a war in the country of Rwanda, where most gorillas are found. This war sent waves of refugees into the mountainous areas. The refugees would go on to destroy gorilla habitats as well as bring dangerous diseases.These dangerous diseases would go on to kill hundreds of gorillas. Along with the disease and habitat loss, refugees would set up traps for food, but catch gorillas instead. This form of accidental poaching is still just as serious. Through all this the gorillas have dwindled.
Therefore, the next time you are watching Tarzan or see Gorilla Grodd in a Flash comic, think of the actual gorillas in the wild. We need to think about the struggles these animals face as well as aim to help them. World Wildlife Organization is doing its best to help as always, but we should help too. Donate money, spread awareness, and possibly even go over to countries like Rwanda and help with the communities there! Till next time.... beat your chest like a gorilla.
I didn't realize that the Rwandan genocide helped decline the population of the gorillas. Was this just do to the fact of people going into the woods or did soldiers that were hunting the runaways also hunt the gorillas, whether purposefully or accidentally?
ReplyDeleteAccording to this article I found http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/09/0904_020904_gorillas.html The soldiers did accidentally/purposely hunt the gorillas. Another problem is that the war caused gorilla tourism to go down and Rwanda cannot afford to pay for rangers to protect them.
DeleteAccording to this article I found http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/09/0904_020904_gorillas.html The soldiers did accidentally/purposely hunt the gorillas. Another problem is that the war caused gorilla tourism to go down and Rwanda cannot afford to pay for rangers to protect them.
DeleteIt's interesting that these strong, burly animals have endured many hardships in their existence throughout their generations. I think it is fair to say we can use these gorillas as models of strength throughout our lives; their endurance and persistance can be something we pursue and reflect onto ourselves. Such a good model of character!
ReplyDeleteMr. Crismaru, you bring a deep and profound view on the topic and I find you are correct. These gorillas do show endurance and persistence and are a great example of how we should live!
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