Being that close to them made me feel really small, but in a good way.
Silverback mountain gorillas live in the forests of Volcanoes National Park, which is in the northern part of Rwanda. These mountains stretch across three countries: Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They live high up in cool, misty forests on the mountains. The area is really green and thick with a bunch of plants, which gives them plenty of food and places to rest.
They eat leaves, stems, bamboo and other plants that grow on the mountains, so they don’t have to travel far for food. The thick forest also gives them protection and places to rest. At night, they build gigantic nests out of branches and leaves to sleep in. The mountains help them stay comfortable, and they live in groups, or families, to keep them safe from danger.
Mountain gorillas can be harmed if their homes in the forest are destroyed, if people try to hunt them or if they catch diseases from humans. Their forests are getting smaller because of farming and building. People are worried about them because there aren’t very many left. Rwanda protects these gorillas by teaching local communities why gorillas are important, so people don’t hurt them or their forests. They monitor gorilla health to prevent diseases from humans. The government limits how many tourists can visit so the gorillas don’t get stressed. Also, they restore forests that were cut down so gorillas have more space and food.
