BBC Mountain Gorilla Page #4

---

keeping the two young orphans alive.

It's all right.

They survived, but because of

their contact with humans,

they are unlikely to go back

into the wild.

However, soon they will be moved

from this cramped back garden

to a purpose-built sanctuary,

close to the forest

that should be their natural home.

Good...

Oh, don't be shy!

Come, come.

To prepare for the move, the orphans

are being introduced to the car

that will eventually transport them.

Good.

Give me your hand.

Good.

That's good.

It's very important

that they know what's happening.

We don't try to sneak on them

and do things by surprise.

Magda is happy

that the orphans are healthy.

But before she leaves Congo,

there is a family of gorillas

that she needs to check up on,

one closely connected to the orphans.

In Rwanda, the old female, Tuck,

has so far chosen

to stay with silverback Rano and his

small, disgruntled band of gorillas.

As their leader,

one of Rano's responsibilities

is to keep the group safe.

But now he is taking them

out of the National Park

and onto the farmland

that surrounds it.

Rano is desperate

to gain the group's respect.

Leading the gorillas out of the park

to find a tasty treat

could be a way of winning them over.

But it's not without risk.

Nestling beneath the volcanoes

is the bustling town of Ruhengeri.

Its ever-expanding population

needs feeding,

which means the last few hundred

mountain gorillas on Earth

face stiff competition for resources.

Potatoes are the main crop grown here,

but the gorillas ignore these

and go in search of a different delicacy.

Eucalyptus. These fast-growing trees

are planted by locals

to be used for building materials.

This sort of damage does bring

the gorillas into conflict with humans.

But this is not the only concern

for those looking after them.

By coming onto the farmland,

the gorillas are exposed

to human diseases.

Gorillas have little immunity

to our illnesses.

Even a simple cough or cold

could kill them.

Much work is being done to make people

aware of the risks and benefits

of having mountain gorillas

living alongside them.

And where better to start

than with the next generation?

At this school,

the Art of Conservation team

are teaching Rwandan children

all about gorillas.

So, approximately how many

mountain gorillas are alive today?

About 700 up to 800.

Just as important

as learning about mountain gorillas

is the fact that the gorillas

are helping to give something back

to the local community.

Money from gorilla tourism is used

to build the very schools

in which the children have their lessons.

The future of the mountain gorilla

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes