Viva! UK has teamed up with Viva! Uganda to spread its fight for animals into the heart of Africa. Our mission is to ensure the survival of Bwindi’s mountain gorillas and to protect the protectors – the volunteers putting their lives on the line to protect the gorillas from poachers.
The courage of those who dedicate their lives to protecting mountain gorillas from poachers is nothing short of heroic. These rangers, conservationists, and local communities stand on the frontlines, facing immense danger to safeguard some of the world’s most magnificent creatures. Their work is not just about preserving a species, it is about defending a delicate balance of nature, honouring a shared responsibility to protect life.
“These guardians of the wild endure hardships, sometimes risking their lives, driven by a deep love for the gorillas and a vision of a future where they roam freely, unthreatened.
Their resilience reminds us that heroism lies not in grand gestures but in quiet, steadfast commitment. Their actions ensure that generations to come will still hear the echoes of gorilla calls in Uganda’s misty mountains. To these unsung heroes, we owe our deepest gratitude and respect. The least we can do is to protect them, as best we can, in their work. Their bravery is a testament to the power of compassion, the strength of purpose, and the unwavering belief that mountain gorillas are worth fighting for.
Viva! protects mountain gorillas not just because they are rare, but because their survival is a reflection of our own humanity. In their eyes we see the wildness we have lost and the innocence we have forgotten. To save the mountain gorilla is to save a piece of our own soul.”
Juliet Gellatley, Founder of Viva! UK and Viva! Uganda
Gorillas on the brink
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is home to 128 mammalian species alone, including forest elephants, giant forest pigs, chimpanzees, blue monkeys, l’Hoest’s monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys and black-and-white colobus monkeys. Mountain gorillas are extremely intelligent and have a variety of communication and problem-solving abilities. They live in harmony with these, and thousands of other, species and are one of our closest relatives, sharing 98.3 per cent of our DNA. We are a great ape!
Despite this, these gentle guardians of Uganda’s rainforests are critically endangered! From when they were discovered, mountain gorillas have faced poaching, civil wars, deforestation and persistent encroachment on their territory by humans. Populations collapsed, hitting a low of just 254 in 1981, with today’s global population sitting at just 1,063. The mountain gorilla is still in serious danger even though their numbers are slowly increasing because of the collaborative efforts to protect them – and Viva! is part of this. It is a slow path to recovery partly because, like us, mountain gorillas have a long, nine-month pregnancy, and usually give birth to just one baby every four years. Baby gorillas are dependent on their mothers for several years and the bond between them is lifelong. Gorillas are wonderful mothers, carrying their babies, nursing, reassuring, teaching and protecting them.
With such a small population, even one death is a huge loss, especially if it is a leading silverback, as this can lead to troops disbanding and becoming even more vulnerable. Viva! is determined to change perspectives, working with and educating local people around the national parks on mountain gorillas and forest survival – for the sake of us all.
Protecting the protectors
HUGO volunteers are essential to the mountain gorilla’s survival and together Viva! UK and Viva! Uganda are protecting them – the people who protect the gorillas. The men who volunteer are extremely poor and come from local communities in the Bwindi region, where gorillas live in the ancient mountain forests. Despite Uganda sitting on the equator, the mountains are cold at night, and it often rains – tropical, hard rain. The HUGO volunteers are the bridge between gorillas, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and local communities.
They are, however, poorly clothed and equipped and often have to face the harsh elements, sometimes overnight, with no shelter and without rainproof clothing. Volunteers are chosen by local leaders from people who are most passionate about conservation. They are trained in gorilla behaviour so that when the noble and mighty apes leave the forest and explore the surrounding villages and cropland, they are herded back to their home before they can come to harm.
This intervention has been successfully managed for some time without harm to either gorillas or men. In fact, the HUGO project is a huge success and as the mountain gorilla numbers slowly increase, more volunteers are needed to avert conflict. Viva! is encouraging women to join the volunteers to empower and involve them in conservation.
HUGO doesn’t just protect the apes but is also the eyes and ears of the UWA and tells them what training is needed to overcome specific challenges in their village. HUGO has massively improved the relationship between the UWA and the local communities and that is a key to the gorillas’ survival.
Perhaps just as importantly, HUGO is helping to ensure that poachers become anti-poachers and now there are poacher reform groups in Bwindi villages.
It is our mission to ensure HUGO has all the equipment and training it needs to ensure a bright future for Uganda’s mountain gorillas.
Our future aims
Viva! will support training for over 140 HUGO (Human Gorilla Conflict Resolution Team) volunteers, starting with 70, in gorilla behaviour, tracking, and containment to keep gorillas within forest areas and protect them from human-wildlife conflict. HUGO volunteers also monitor gorilla health, looking for signs of sickness and collecting faecal samples.
However, these vital volunteers are grossly underequipped. They trek in worn-down boots and tattered coats, lack properly functioning walkie-talkies, and many have insufficient tents.
Rangers and volunteers are crucial in preventing gorilla extinction, and we are determined to help them – along with your support. Viva! UK will directly supply HUGO teams with essential equipment in Bwindi National Park. Involving local communities is critical to protecting gorillas, and while this process has started, they need our help.
With your support, Gorilla Defenders can continue to equip HUGO volunteers to defend these amazing creatures. HUGO consists of dedicated people who understand and love mountain gorillas, but their work is limited by a lack of functional equipment. Your donations will purchase and deliver this equipment directly, with no money wasted on bureaucracy.
Viva! also aims to educate local communities and help them with educational supplies and support teaching respect and kindness to gorillas and all animals. Together, we can help save this extraordinary and vulnerable species from extinction.
Will you donate today and become a gorilla defender? Every penny counts.
