News and Updates

World Gorilla Day

3rd October, 2018 17:07:12

September 24th is World Gorilla Day – an opportunity for people everywhere to celebrate one of its closest relatives (humans and gorillas share 98 percent of our DNA) and take action to protect gorilla habitats worldwide.

Currently, all species of gorilla are endangered, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but there are many great organizations working to preserve and increase gorilla populations around the world. Increased awareness and investment will help to grow appreciation for these great apes, and spur more people into action to make sure gorilla populations don’t just survive, but thrive.

The population of mountain gorillas in East Africa’s Virunga Mountains had fallen precipitously low in 1981, with only 242 individual gorillas. Through conservation efforts between the government and NGOs, that number increased to 480 in 2010, and up again in 2016 to 604.

If you’d like to help the support the gorilla population, here are a few things you can do to help:

• Make a donation to support gorilla conservation https://donate.gorillafund.org/give/137778/#!/donation/checkout?utm_source=WorldGorillaDay&utm_campaign=WorldGorillaDay2018

• Host a World Gorilla Day event at your company/school/neighbourhood

• Visit an organization hosting a World Gorilla Day event near you

• Recycle your mobile device – recycling your cellphone, tablet or MP3 player helps reduce the demand for ore that is mined in some gorilla habitats, plus it can help raise funds for gorilla conservation. Drop off your device at a participating location: https://www.eco-cell.com/silverbacks or click here to send it in yourself: https://www.eco-cell.com/get-started