Why are gorillas poached

Why are Gorillas poached?

Why are gorillas poached: There about 900 mountain gorillas left in the world. There has been a lot of awareness to save the gorillas in some parts of the world but poaching has been the biggest challenge limiting the increase in the number of gorillas hence being termed as endangered species to some parts of the world. The remaining number of gorillas is shared between Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, arguably, Uganda habiting the largest percentage of these mountain gorillas in the whole world.

 Hunting of these herbivous apes that inhabit the forest is one of the biggest threats to their existence and this is why they are endangered species. Gorillas in all the three shared countries have been put under maximum supervision to save them from extinction however despite all the efforts, they are still hunted down. And the reasons/ purposes for their poaching are as followers;

Sell off their meat/ Food.

Gorillas meat is consumed by some African villagers but sending it to other countries like the USA would be the best option for them to earn a living although this is illegal in most cases. Poverty in some of the African countries where these animals are found has also greatly contributed to this factor, they have been killed for purposes of bush meat which is sold widely on the international market and consumed in some parts of the world. This has helped them earn income to meet their needs, earn revenue hence eradicating poverty in the land.

Traditional Medicine.

Some African cultures poach these animals and use their remains as sacrifices before the local witch doctors as medicine. However, this is conducted on the local basis. While hunting down these animals, these look out for a specific species of gorillas hence leading to smaller populations of these species.

There considered as trophies.

These are believed to be one of the dangerous and strongest species of animals on the African continent and killing one of its kind is a rare case as they are believed to be deadly and difficult to hunt. Most people keep the dead gorillas as trophies to show off their wealth and power and some other rich powerful kings and individuals just want them for Pride. These dead primates are also kept in zoos as pets as history and proof to generations and generations to come.

In conclusion, there several reasons for poaching these particular species of animals as many of these are not yet identified except for the general listed above and the a bove should able to anser why gorillas are poached.