- KIGALI, Rwanda (Reuters)
- The number of mountain gorillas roaming forests shared by Rwanda, Uganda
and Congo has risen in recent years in a sign of hope for one of the world's
most endangered species, a census showed Monday.
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- Trackers prevented from conducting their research for
years by war said the population of the majestic apes in the Virunga volcano
chain had risen to 380 from 324 when the last census was completed 15 years
ago.
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- "The census was conducted by six teams traversing
the entire gorilla habitat range, searching for fresh signs of gorilla
groups," said a joint statement from Rwanda, Uganda and Congo issued
by Rwanda's tourism promotion office Monday.
-
- "Each gorilla makes a fresh nest to sleep in each
night, and these are used to establish the number of gorillas in each group,"
the statement said.
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- Rwanda is hoping to expand its small tourism industry
by attracting more visitors to view the gorillas, brought to worldwide
attention by late American primatologist Diane Fossey whose work was featured
in the film "Gorillas in the Mist."
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- Conservationists say mountain gorillas are only found
on the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo ,
where they are confined to two forest blocks some 45 km (28 miles) apart.
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- The census published Monday covered the habitat shared
by the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, the Volcano National Park
in Rwanda and the Virunga National Park in Congo.
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- According to the International Gorilla Conservation Program,
a non-governmental organization (NGO), the other mountain gorilla habitat
-- in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda -- had 310-315
individuals in a 2002 census.
-
- The latest census would put the total number of mountain
gorillas at close to 700.
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- The survey was carried out between September and October
last year by national park authorities in the three countries.
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- A census is normally conducted every five years, but
conflicts involving rebels and armies in the region have rendered such
research impossible for much of the past decade.
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- "The national parks authorities and conservation
NGOs in the three countries have worked hard to ensure the protection of
the forest and the gorillas throughout this period," Rogers Kayihura,
an official in Rwanda's tourism promotion office, told Reuters.
-
- "It is thanks to their perseverance and dedication
that the gorilla population has survived and even increased," he said.
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- There have been numerous reports of gorillas being killed
by gunmen or poachers, including one in 2001 of rebels breaking a taboo
in Rwanda by eating the carcasses of primates they shot.
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