For my great ape, I chose the Gorilla. I chose this because I think it is a very common ape that most people know of. I was not, however, aware that they are close to extinction which is very saddening to hear. Going to the zoo and seeing them walk around might soon be a thing of the past. Gorillas originate from Africa and typically travel in large groups of up to 50. Although they all originate from the same place they do have different habitats. Some include living in mountain ranges while others prefer to live on flat land.
In an article titled World's largest gorillas 'one step from going extinct' written by Kerry Sheridan, he states in the opening paragraph that Gorillas are quickly becoming extinct mostly due to illegal hunting. Most of this hunting is taking place in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In an article published on Primate Info Net it states that Gorillas face three main challenges in their habitat, these include forest clearance, disease, and hunting.
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Forest clearance is becoming a big issue because humans are taking down trees in order for construction which leaves these animals without a home. In a study by the Food and Agriculture Organization, it states that in Africa exceeded the global average of .08%. This greatly affects Gorillas for several reasons. One is that it is tearing down their homes so they are forced to change environments. The second reason being that Gorillas primarily eat vegetation so their food sources are being removed which can cause starvation.
Disease is also a cause of Gorillas extinction. Due to the fact that Gorillas are closely related to humans, it means they can also develop the same diseases that we do. However, they do not have the same treatments and medical care. This results in the deaths of many Gorillas because they can not fight off diseases the same way a human could. Along with this, since the species travel in groups, if one Gorilla is affected by a disease it is very likely that it will spread along the rest of the group.
The third main cause of Gorilla extinction would be hunting. The reason for this can range from illegal meat trade to something as unfortunate as an accident. Some people hunt these animals illegally in order to get their meat. Other instances include animal traps that are not meant for Gorillas but accidentally cause them harm instead of what the desired result was. Whether people are killing these animals on purpose or an accident, it does not change the fact that this is a big reason for their soon to be extinction.
As you can see from all of these causes of extinction, humans do play a big role in it. Although disease is not something we can necessarily help, things such as deforestation and hunting could be prevented. Humans could stop poaching Gorillas as well as not tear down their forests. These two things alone would help tremendously with the extinction of these animals. Along with this, just bringing awareness to the dying spices could also help a lot. I was not aware of how endangered they were and I'm sure there are lots of other people that are also not. Spreading the word and giving information about these animals and their reason for extinction could play a big role in saving them.
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