Gorilla populations have been greatly reduced by habitat loss, disease and poaching. Give a gift! A gradual rise in the population of mountain gorillas has taken place thanks to conservation programs. All are facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. Borneo elephants are also endangered: there are only 1,500 left in the wild. Civil war, deforestation, disease and poaching have driven the mighty mountain gorilla to the brink of extinction. Countries where gorillas live, like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are troubled by political conflicts that usually end in wars, guerrillas or armed riots. Buy sustainable wood. We often receive inquiries from people wanting to know how they can help gorillas as well as other wildlife. Buy a "Gorilla's Paradise" WWF gift and help support the Gamba Complex of protected areas in Gabon – home to western lowland gorillas as well as hippos, elephants and much more. Endangered Species International Saving Gorillas. The war in Rwanda in the early 1990s and years of civil unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo have sent waves of refugees into the region around the Virunga Mountains parks that are home to more than half the mountain gorilla population, leading to poaching and destruction of gorilla habitat. There are many organizations that are helping endangered species. This is an important question and one that requires a multi-part answer. Poachers are killing rhinos every day. Endangered Species International is deeply involved in saving gorillas and their habitats. ... We’re already seeing that where chimps and gorillas … Saving Gorillas. Habitat Loss, Reduction, and degradation. Learn more about what WWF is doing to protect its future, and how you can help. There are many things being done to help the mountain gorilla things include many patrols of there known area (range) and destroying poacher equipment and weapons so they cant kill the mountain gorilla. The biggest threats to this endangered great ape's survival come from political instability, human encroachment, and forest degradation. Preventative measures are being taken to save the rhino from becoming extinct. Only about 1,000 of these great apes remain in … There are various things being done to save the Gorillas. From the lowest point in 1980 when its numbers were just 254, it has now grown to 880. conservation The battle to save Africa's endangered mountain gorillas. The only ray of hope for saving gorillas from extinction is conservation. If we do not take action to save them, we may never get the chance to fully understand these majestic creatures. Armed conflicts. The western lowland gorilla is the most numerous and widespread of all gorilla subspecies. Rhino horns are in high demand due to their healing properties and religious symbolism. Other diseases affecting gorillas are polio, hepatitis A, tuberculosis and intestinal parasites. There are five species of rhinos white, black, Sumatran, Javan and the greater one-horned. Successfully saving endangered gorillas in their habitat in Africa – which is the mission of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund – requires ongoing, long-term […] Why Chimps Are Disappearing and How to Save Them. The U.S. is helping to save an elusive and endangered species of gorilla in West Africa. By 2003, one-third of all wild gorillas had died due to this virus. The Borneo pygmy elephant is the smallest and least-studied of all elephant species. Protecting gorilla populations has proved difficult due to the vast dense areas in which they live. Commercial activities such as agriculture, mining, and farming, make people cut down the trees of their habitat reducing the availability of food. The Western gorilla also has two subspecies. To visit the gorillas of Dzanga-Sangha in Central African Republic, contact: info@dzanga-sangha.org. But their populations are being threatened by poaching and disease. A gradual rise in the population of mountain gorillas has taken place thanks to conservation programs. With there population left on the brink of extinction, many people and groups are doing everything they can do help save this once thriving species. For example, the WWF is responsible for the Great Apes Survival Project. Gorillas need vegetation to survive, as they feed on plants and often build nests in trees to rest. From the lowest point in 1980 when its numbers were just 254, it has now grown to 880. A gradual rise in the population of mountain gorillas has taken place thanks to conservation programs. But with some experts predicting extinction of great apes—including chimpanzees—over most of their current range in sub-Saharan Africa during the next 10 to 20 years, saving the chimpanzees of Gombe will require tremendous effort. The only ray of hope for saving gorillas from extinction is conservation. Humans are pushing mountain gorillas out of the wild and into extinction. Ebola has taken the lives of many Western Lowland Gorillas; some scientists even estimating that it has killed one-third of the gorilla population, the majority being Western Lowlands.