Gorilla World Day
24th September
Closest to man in evolutionary terms, the anthropomorphic ape is considered the king of the forest.
World Gorilla Day is celebrated on 24 September. The WWF’s efforts are producing their first results: only a few years ago (2018), the conservation of the species was considered to be in a “critically endangered status” (with only a few hundred specimens left), today (2023), instead, it has moved to an “endangered status”. This means that although important steps have been taken for their conservation, the species is still to be considered “endangered”: poaching, climate change and the spread of diseases caused by deforestation the main causes.
The population of these primates is mainly found in two protected areas: in the Bwindi National Park (Uganda) and in the Virunga National Park (on the border between Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo). Thanks to the “African Great Apes Programme”, the WWF is actively working (both internationally and among the local communities hosting the gorillas) to defend this beautiful species by combating poaching to eliminate the illegal trade in its meat and by increasing protected areas to defend its natural habitat. The “Gorilla Agreement” (entered into force in June 2008) is the first ever agreement to commit governments around the World to work together to eliminate risks and increase solutions for the conservation of the species.
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