Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is home to the world’s largest population of Mountain gorillas in the wild. The Silver backs were made famous by the movie ‘Gorillas in the Mist’ the true story of anthropologist Dian Fossey who dedicated her life to saving the primates. The animal has come a long way since the 1980s when decades of poaching caused its population to plunge to just 250. In the 2010 census the gorillas numbered 880, in 2015 the count was up to 1,063. Thanks to this revival, the mountain gorilla is now listed as ‘endangered,’ while other great apes remain ‘critically endangered’. With hundreds of mountain gorillas now in residence, the Park is a conservation triumph. But this resurgence is not without consequences, as the majestic creatures now struggle for space to grow and thrive. Recent effects of climate change are worrying conservationists, such as mudslides which affected one of the six natural habitats of the Silver Backs. Humans have moved into areas near mountain gorillas, they have cleared land for agriculture and livestock. The challenge has inspired local people to to devote their lives to protecting the gorillas and since 1996 over 140 rangers have lost their lives in the line of duty helping to save an irreplaceable natural treasure. Welcome to ‘The Last GORILLAS In The MIST’
ZUMAland.com 