Comments on: Year of the Gorilla Part 5: Eastern Lowland Gorilla

By: Sonja

Sonja — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:12:25 +0000

Maybe education is the answer, or something that can contribute to helping the situation. That includes the people living there, as well as people from around the world. It takes everyone working together to make any kind of impact. This is a global situation!

By: A Mom Blog

A Mom Blog — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 02:12:22 +0000

I didn’t know you could recycle your old phones at the zoo. Even this smal gesture of recycling your old cell phone can help. We can all do our part for conservation.

By: Carlynne

Carlynne — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:12:20 +0000

I know just where my old cell phone is going!

By: Alicia

Alicia — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:25:53 +0000

I’ll definitely be bringing my cellphone to the zoo the next time I visit!!

By: Julian Martinez

Julian Martinez — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:29:12 +0000

I like this post because it shows how politics impacts conservation. As long as there is political instability in the Congo, the situation can only get worse. People ask what they can do to improve the situation in the Congo; one indirect way to help is to try to resolve the instability there, to reduce the pressure on the inhabitants to kill and eat the gorillas (in the absence of other food sources) to survive. And, as this post says, it’s impossible to conduct research there as long as it’s a war zone, so it’s not even possible to fully analyze the problem as long as this instability exists. Ending the strife there AND working with the people to live sustainably on the land would help the gorillas tremendously, even though many people might not associate that with conservation.

By: Mandy Ahr

Mandy Ahr — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:13:14 +0000

I have an old cell phone! Now I know just what I’m going to do with it!

By: Sandy Means

Sandy Means — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:36:07 +0000

WOW! To think the electronic devices we use and take for granted everyday can be used to help these gorillas. I can’t wait to round up all of our old phones to donate. Thank you for sharing this and helping all of us do our part for our world.

By: Travis Black

Travis Black — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:05:58 +0000

Stacy: It’s insane that animals like that are captured and harvested for one body part. It reminds me of the bile from endangered black bears and how said bears are killed just for the fluid in their stomachs. According to an article I read, it’s worth more per ounce than gold.

By: Kimberley Jones

Kimberley Jones — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:04:26 +0000

I wish people would open their eyes and see how their actions can cause devastation…but some people only care about themselves and what they can gain…if only more people were aware of their consequences of habitats of animals!
But I love the recycling efforts that are being offered. I wish it was more widespread- I live in a small town, and we aren’t offered recycling hosts.

By: Stacy

Stacy — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:52:23 +0000

I learned about the Lowland Gorillas while writing a paper for a college class about the Okapi (also endangered and from the Congo). Not only is the area being deforested and the area is rife with civil war, but there are many poachers in the area that try to capture these animals for different reasons. One reason that I found to be most appalling was that they will capture and kill gorillas just for ONE body part for use in a “specialty dish”.. some cultures believe that various body parts of certain animals when eaten will give the person a particular trait from that animal. Of course this is not true, and the sad part is that the rest of the meat goes wasted and the world is left with one less in the population of an endangered species. I understand that the parks in Congo try their best to destroy traps and capture poachers with what little funds they have, but is there a real way that we can help? I mean, a way where the PARKS get the funds and not the governments there that are fighting?