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Gorilla Conservation
 The Wildlife Conservation Society is the only organization in the world working to protect all three gorilla subspecies: mountain gorillas, Grauer's gorillas, and western lowland gorillas. WCS began studying these spectacular primates in 1959 with pioneering work by biologist George Schaller in the Virunga Volcanoes region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (then Belgian Congo). Schaller's work, which paved the way for future conservation efforts, showed that gorillas were not the raging beasts of myth, but gentle, group-oriented animals, feeding primarily on plants and fruit.
Beginning in 1979, WCS researchers Amy Vedder and Bill Weber launched the Mountain Gorilla Project (MGP) in Rwanda. Vedder and Weber's work on how mountain gorillas use the forest and how economics and human attitudes affect conservation, complemented by local education programs, led to greater protection for the gorillas, and a popular ecotourism program before 1994's disastrous internal warfare. In Schaller's time, the population was estimated at four to five hundred. The number declined to about 250 in the late 1970s, due to poaching, then rose to its present 320, as a direct result of the MGP. WCS continues to fund conservation projects in Rwanda, providing a much-needed institutional presence to ensure the protection of this most endangered great ape.
While not nearly as well known as mountain gorillas, Grauer's gorillas (also known as eastern lowland gorillas) are also endangered. Little is known about this gorilla subspecies, due primarily to the inaccessible forests where it lives, and most recently, political instability of the region. WCS conducted the first-ever comprehensive survey of Grauer's gorillas in 1998, finding a surprisingly robust population of 17,000 individuals living primarily around Kahuzi Biega, Maiko and Virunga National Parks in Democratic Republic of Congo. Outside of protected areas however, local populations have plummeted due to poaching and habitat loss. Now that the numbers are known, WCS scientists continue to work on the ground protecting these mysterious apes from illegal hunting and deforestation.
 Though not endangered, western lowland gorillas (pop. estimate: 100,000) have also suffered from habitat loss and poaching. WCS oversees ongoing field projects in Congo, Central African Republic, Nigeria and Gabon to study and safeguard this subspecies. Scientists are learning how lowland gorillas use their habitat to determine those areas needing protection. In logging areas, WCS helps local authorities inspect for illegally hunted "bushmeat," which often includes gorillas, considered a delicacy in wild game markets.
Today, the future for gorillas remains uncertain. With central Africa's human population growing quickly, pressures on both gorilla habitat and the animals themselves will only escalate. Growing turmoil in the area has also made it difficult for conservationists to conduct their studies, and for valuable ecotourism operations to take hold. It is only through the efforts of WCS and other dedicated conservationists, that continue to work closely with local people and governments, that we can expect to save the gorilla — a living symbol of the wilds of Africa.
Conservation Addendum
The Wildlife Conservation Society is a member of the Bushmeat Crisis Task Force — a coalition of conservation groups monitoring the situation in Kahuzi-Biega National Park in Democratic Republic of Congo. As a result of civil war, poor security around the park has led to widespread killing of animals — including Grauer's gorillas — by people desperate for food. In 1994-1995, WCS carried out a survey of the worldwide distribution of Grauer's gorillas and found that 86 percent of the population was found in Kahuzi Biega. Today, due to the region's extreme volatility, conservationists have been able to do little on-the-ground work. Even the park guards, who were disarmed when the war started, cannot patrol large areas of Kahuzi Biega because of safety concerns. Recently, the U.S. State Department and the Bushmeat Crisis Task Force have discussed ways to alleviate the situation, including working with the different warring factions to find peace, and addressing issues of food security into the region, which would in turn take the pressure off wildlife populations.
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