Uganda’s mountain gorillas experience rare ‘baby boom’

Posted by Anita Froneman on 4 September 2020

The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda has welcomed seven infants so far this year, a rare victory compared to only two born in the whole of 2019.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) says the births of these silverbacks show that consistent conservation efforts, anti-poaching patrols, round-the-clock veterinary team and 24/7 monitoring of the gorillas are finally reaping rewards, reports CNN.

Uganda's mountain gorillas experience rare 'baby boom'

The surge in baby births is a win for silverback gorillas.

‘The birth of new mountain gorillas is testimony to Uganda’s successful conservation efforts,’ Sam Mwandha, UWA executive director, said in a statement. ‘With enhanced integrity of protected areas, there has been a general increase in wildlife populations in Uganda.’

Five of the babies were born in the span of just six weeks, according to Bashir Hangi, spokesperson for UWA.

The species was removed from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature critically endangered red list in 2018, but is still widely regarded as an endangered species. There are roughly 1,070 wild mountain gorillas in the world, according to the WWF.

‘The future for mountain gorillas looks hopeful, but the threats they have endured for years, like civil unrest, poaching, habitat destruction, disease and improper management of tourism, remain,’ said Bas Huijbregts, African Species Director of the WWF.

‘Effective long-term conservation efforts have helped both the Virunga and Bwindi populations increase, and sustaining this incredible result will be contingent on sustaining those efforts.’

Image: Unplash






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