The world's largest primate, Grauer's gorilla, is greatly endangered by warfare, illegal hunting and mining. The latest study from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute revealed that endemic populations have plummeted by a staggering 77 percent within the last 20 years alone.
Formerly known as the eastern lowland gorilla, these iconic primates are found only in the conflict-plagued Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). They are closely related to the mountain gorilla, G. beringei beringei, a native of montane forests in the Albertine Rift.
Compared to 1998 population counts totaling some 17,000 individuals, the recent study estimates fewer than 3,800 Grauer's gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri) remain in the wild.
"The crash in the gorilla population is a consequence of the human tragedy that has played out in eastern DRC," explained Jefferson Hall, staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. "Armed factions terrorize innocent people and divide up the spoils of war with absolutely no concern for the victims or the environment."
Weighing upwards of 400 pounds, Grauer's gorillas are the largest primates in the world. The collapse of this subspecies is believed to stem from the Rwandan genocide of 1994, which drove hundreds of thousands of refugees into the eastern DRC. This, in turn, triggered a civil war that lasted from 1996 to 2003.
Years of civil unrest also led to an expansion of mining in remote forests and protected areas. Far from towns and villages, miners frequently resort to hunting for food. And even though Grauer's gorillas are legally protected, they are easily tracked and prized targets for their large size.
Using a novel method to incorporate data collected by local communities and forest rangers, researchers were able to more accurately calculate populations of Grauer's gorillas.
Their findings suggest the animals are at an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. Therefore, researchers recommend the gorillas be listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species - a listing that warrants greater protection.
However, researchers warn that reversing the gorilla's perilous situation will take a great deal of effort and more funds than are currently available. Not only will it require disarming the militias in the eastern DRC, but also the control of illegal mining and poaching that accompanies it.
Among other proposed recommendations is the addition of new protected areas and enhanced support for existing ones.
"Human dignity and welfare are inextricably linked to the dignity and survival of wild animals like Grauer's gorilla and the ecosystems that sustain them," said Andrew J. Plumptre, lead author of the study. "The outcomes of regional armed conflict have global impact on our survival. The activity of armed militias controlling mining camps in the Grauer's gorilla heartland is likely to eliminate the Grauer's gorilla entirely. Conservationists are pushing for the establishment of the Reserve des Gorilles de Punia and the Itombwe Reserve, which has strong community support, along with the reinforcement of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park, arguing that this would make a huge difference for the gorillas."
Their findings were recently published by the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Flora and Fauna International and the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature.
"The bright spot in all this is that we have seen, over and over again, dedicated Congolese conservationists risk their lives to make a difference," Hall added. "Thanks to these individuals, there is still hope and the opportunity to save these animals and the ecosystems they represent."
