How often are gorillas used for food?
All too often…. POPULATION COUNTS Gorilla populations are decreasing; they are in danger of extinction. Scientists estimate that there are roughly 50,000 gorillas left in the wild in Africa. Most of these are western lowland gorillas; there are only about 600 mountain gorillas and 2,500 eastern lowland gorillas. Mountain gorillas are on the verge of extinction. Past/Present/Future Until several decades ago, gorilla populations enjoyed the seclusion of vast tracts of forest. Today, Africa’s growing population puts many pressures on these declining primates. Logging roads snake into forests, opening frontiers to settlers and loggers, while hunters kill or capture gorillas for their meat, parts (sometimes sold as souvenirs), or because the animals raid farm fields. Gorilla meat is eaten by hunters and loggers, and is also sold in city markets and restaurants. While protection laws exist in most countries still inhabited by gorillas, enforcement is often lacking. Civil wars in Rwanda and