Science a GoGo's Home Page Forums General Discussion General Science Discussion Forum 100,000 Gorillas Discovered

Over 100,000 rare Gorillas have been found living in the Congo Jungle recently.
The area has just been declared a protected site.
The reason for this discovery apparently is that due to the wet swampy area of this large patch of jungle, man has not been able to easily gain access, due to the swamps.
There are more Gorillas living in peace here than have ever before been peviously discovered in the whole of Africa.
They have adapted to swim and walk the swamp area, as well as living in the trees, here they often make nests of leaves and branches to sleep on the ground.
They are wonderful family orientated and peaceful animals, lets hope we leave them alone.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/08/05/congo.gorillas/?imw=Y&iref=mpstoryemail

Video of Gorillas splashing and eating in the swamp

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa...ail#cnnSTCVideo

I hope these Gorillas will be spared the wrath of man. I'm sure somebody will try to go in there and kill them for a profit, but I hope the forces designed to police this area will be able to do their job.

They didn't discovered gorillas, only their(?) nests. This is not definitely the same.

Anyway, as usually, such discovery would mean the beginning of end of this population.

Actually, they did discover gorillas - lots of 'em. They simply used the number of nests found at the site to estimate the population. The discovery may well be the beginning of their end, unless no profitable use can be found for the swamp forest. It's usually loss of habitat that endangers the gorilla species, isn't it?

I'm sure the Chinese will discover some ancient medicine to give them longer erections through the use of some gorilla body part.

That's a lovely video, and so many gorillas! I do wish though that they had never been found. The conservationist compared the area with the Amazon, and we all know what is happening there. I doubt that even the fact that researchers will go there will be able to save these animals from the encroachment of humans, with our roads and our livestock, not to mention industry, mining and the really important oil exploration.

I wish I did not feel these animals are now doomed as their habitat reduces.

Perhaps we should just kill those 100,000 gorillas to protect them from the poachers

No I do not think we need to plan their deaths because it's not just that they will die...the loss of habitat and also human intrusion will erode their quality of life (an important thing for animals as well as humans) and they will end up like that parrot in New Zealand... endlessly calling for a mate, not knowing he is the last of his kind. Who knows--perhaps that will be the fate of humans one day. After all, what happened to the Neanderthals?

It is a shame what happened to the Neanderthals with their beautiful plumage and all.

It would not be so bad if their death had been because they were hunted for their plumage, at least that is a motive to hunt,---but I think it was mindless extermination, (it happened to modern humans in my country in Tasmania in the 19th C.)

But who knows maybe the Neanderthals tasted nice with a little mint sauce? The annoying part is they are not around so we cannot verify that. They are very very extinct.

Mike Kremer has given up eating meat, he no longer drives a car, and he lives in a tent.

We all know this.

And we should all be like him, because that's the only way we can save the gorillas of the Congo.

Mike has set a good example for us.

Update. Mike's good example is catching

My diet is now leaves and fruits, plus I'm learning to swing from tree to tree, and live in a nest.

Practise, before joining Mike Kremer's tribe in the Congo.

Do we have to be hairy in order to join up? Or do we spontaneously grow fur when we're part of Mike's tribe?

No, you both need to be white hairless monkeys, to auto-qualify
as fully paid up members of my tribe.
Politicians, not acceptable.