Volunteers wearing gorilla masks excited many of the urban population after the launch of 2009, the UN international year of the gorilla.

Uganda has over half of the world’s population of gorillas, estimated at 720, in Bwindi Impenetrable national park, with the rest of the population in Rwanda and DR Congo. Gorillas are the most unique tourist attraction that the country possess compared to the rest of other east african countries which are restricted to the top animal attractions: elephants, leopards, hippos, buffaloes and lions.

Last year alone, gorilla attraction brought in more than 600,000 tourists whose expenditure contributed to five (5) percent of the gross domestic product of the country and the second major source of foreign exchange.

Gorillas are very much hunted in their habitats by the natives because of rising population and land for agricultural produce. In DR Congo, baby gorillas are in so much demand as pets. To secure a baby gorilla, the poacher wipes out the entire family of gorillas leaving the young ones defenseless.

Awareness campaigns like these should sensitize the population about the usefulness of preserving the gorillas as a foreign exchange earner for the country and at same time as a source of income for the local population who could products products that tourists could buy. Otherwise, if nothing is done, gorillas could yet be wiped out in the next few years and we would all be guilty of wiping out our distant cousins.