Rwanda: Tourists Marvel at Gorillas Whose Numbers Are Rising
Deep in Rwanda’s steep-sloped forest, the mountain gorillas look both endearing and intimidating.
In this photo taken Friday, Sept. 4, 2015, a mountain gorilla from the family of mountain gorillas named Amahoro, which means "peace" in the Rwandan language, forages for food high in a tree in the dense forest on the slopes of Mount Bisoke volcano in Volcanoes National Park, northern Rwanda. Deep in Rwanda's steep-sloped forest, increasing numbers of tourists are heading to see the mountain gorillas, a subspecies whose total population is an estimated 900 and who also live in neighboring Uganda and Congo, fueling an industry seen as key to the welfare of the critically endangered species as well as Rwanda's economy. AP Photo/Ben Curtis
VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, Rwanda—Deep in Rwanda’s steep-sloped forest, the mountain gorillas look both endearing and intimidating. A tourist might feel conflicting impulses to shy away and reach for a hug (the latter is not advised) when a gorilla brushes past on a path. The way a gorilla snoozes, scratches a leg, or casts an inquiring glance—it all seems familiar, and yet wild.
“You can’t tell what they’re thinking,” said John Scott, a retired chemical engineer from Britain’s Worcester area who trekked to the high-altitude habitat to see the creatures with close genetic links to humans.
This sense of kinship helps explain why increasing numbers of tourists are heading to Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, fueling an industry seen as key to the welfare of the critically endangered subspecies as well as the national economy. Those visitors can also be a threat because gorillas are vulnerable to human diseases and so reduced in numbers that a veterinary team called Gorilla Doctors cares for sick and injured apes.
In this photo taken Friday, Sept. 4, 2015, members of a family of mountain gorillas named Amahoro, which means "peace" in the Rwandan language, take a rest in the dense forest on the slopes of Mount Bisoke volcano in Volcanoes National Park, northern Rwanda. AP Photo/Ben Curtis
