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Mountain gorillas in Rwanda - 14th January 2022

The number of mountain gorillas is increasing. Their numbers went from 100 in the 1980s to 1,000 today.

But the gorillas require more land. Their main habitat is the national parks of the Virunga Mountains. These cover Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. But Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is now 54 percent smaller.

Prosper Uwingeli's in charge of the park.

Prosper Uwingeli: "We have seen challenges, and the challenges of the habitat. Because in the past 60, 50 years, the park lost 54 percent of the size of the park. And when our effort were put in a place to – for the mountain gorilla population to, to recover to the current numbers, you know, the habitat has not changed."

Competition for space means gorilla groups are fighting more. The fighting has killed adult males and baby gorillas. Felix Ndagjimana's director of a gorilla fund in Rwanda.

Felix Ndagijimana: "The interactions themselves changed in the sense that they became very violent, and during this period, we recorded seven silverbacks' death. So that's again is a consequence of more groups ranging in the same area – really not expanding and going to, to the rest of the park. And that leading to more intergroup interactions, and then more infanticides."

Tourism has helped increase numbers, but it's changed gorilla behaviour. Not afraid of humans, gorillas now enter villages in search of food. They could catch human diseases. So plans to increase the park include moving people out of some areas.

A fund receives 10 percent of tourism income to help farmers and local communities. Environmentalists hope this income will end traditional fears of gorillas. They want people to see gorillas as part of a positive community future.

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