Visitors at one of the national parks in Africa where gorillas live
Hi, this is Tuver,
When tourists have the opportunity to visit gorillas in the wild they are understandably very keen to have really close contact with them, and some of them would like to approach them as close as they can. But there are a few considerations to bear in mind regarding the proximity between gorillas and humans.
For example, did you know that the closer humans are to gorillas the higher are the chances that pathogens can be spread between humans and animals? Well, to prevent this there is the 7-metre gorilla tracking regulation which basically aims to keep a minimum distance of 7 metres at all times from the gorillas.
It’s very important to observe this regulation because gorillas are really so very similar to us and are sensitive to catch some diseases from humans very quickly. That’s why it’s very important to observe this regulation. According to a recent study by The Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project the second greatest cause of gorilla mortality is disease, specifically respiratory diseases and it’s possible for a single tourist out of the thousands that annually visit the National Parks to pass pathogens, like influenza, to the gorillas.
It’s a mistake when tourists are allowed to get pictures close to the gorillas and unfortunately this situation happens regularly, since the rule can be quite hard to enforce, especially with curious infant gorillas or enthusiastic tourists. But, it is important to follow and stick to this regulation to protect not only the present but the future of our gorillas living in the wild in Africa.
As another tourist at The Virungas National Park I keep my distance from the gorillas
