Why are gorillas poached
Mountain Gorillas are the largest primates in their natural habitat
They exist freely in three countries world wide that is Democratic Republic of Congo , Uganda and Rwanda .
They comprise of 98% genetic similarity with humans that definitely make them the closest relatives to humans together with chimpanzees and bonobos
Gorillas have attracted global attention due to their stocky bodies with broad chests , large arms , tiny eyes fixed in their fearless faces making gorilla tourism one of the most profitable tourists activities .
Mountain Gorillas occupy the tropical forests and Virunga mountain ranges and are predominantly herbivores feeding mainly on vegetation, bamboos and fruits and sometimes include insects in their diet especially during the dry season .
Mountain gorillas live at an altitude of about 8000ft to 13000ft .
Mountain gorillas have a gestation period of 8.5 months and also have a slow reproduction rate because a female takes about 4 years to produce again.
It is very vital to note that mountain Gorillas are still endangered due to different human activities despite the global spirited fight to conserve their species and habitat . Such activities include poaching .
Due to some reasons , it has been found out the gorilla poaching is carried out with regards to the following
Some people poach mountain gorillas for illegal trade as a result of some people keeping them as pets .
Some people also poach gorillas for food , especially the bush meat eaters .
Some mountain Gorilla neighbours also poach mountain gorillas as a retaliation from destroying their crops in the garden .
Also , some traditional healers within gorilla habitats poach these mountain gorillas to use some parts of their bodies as charms .
Mountain Gorilla poachers also carry out their activities for trophies
Others also poach mature gorillas in order to capture their infants for sale .
Conclusively , mountain gorillas are poached for very selfish reasons which should be strongly discouraged .
