There are several groups of gorillas in the whole world, which include the western lowland gorillas, the cross-river gorillas, Eastern lowland gorillas and the eastern mountain gorillas; the total of these gorilla groups is approximately 100,000 in the whole world. The mountain gorillas are approximately 880 where as the cross-river gorillas are between 250-300 located in the borders of Nigeria and Cameroon. World wide, gorillas are endangered species and share 95% of human being making them the most close relatives to humans among all other mammals.
It is believed that there was rapid decrease of gorillas in Democratic Republic of Congo both mountain gorillas in the Virunga National Park and the eastern lowland gorillas in the Kahuzi Biega National Park according to the state of apes report in 2014.
The rapid decline of the Eastern lowland gorillas in Kahuzi Biega national park was mainly due to civil wars that struck the area out of the Rwanda genocide in 1994 reducing the population of gorillas in the national park from 17,000 to only 2000, most gorillas were shot accidentally, others died in their trying to look for safer areas among others which led to a greater decline.
More still, even though civil wars came to an end, Democratic Republic of Congo is still not very safe, the armed groups still occupy large parts of the Kahuzi Biega national park and other ape habitats in the country. These armed groups feed on these endangered species, killing them for daily food sources which has led to continued decline of the eastern lowland gorillas in the country.
In addition, the devastating loss of Eastern lowland gorillas is due to lack of infrastructure (poor roads) connecting to Kahuzi Biega national park, the national park is in the remote areas of democratic republic of Congo which make its accessibility very difficult. Many people have resisted visiting the national park for example there is no gorilla tourism in the park, which would have saved these rare species. Therefore, the lack of accessibility to the national park by the responsible people (tourists) has contributed to the great decline of gorillas in the national park.
To add on, the illegal mining in the Kahuzi Biega national park has led to the decline of gorillas in the national park, the small scale mining known as the Aka artisanal mining is done in the ecologically sensitive areas of the national park extracting minerals such as gold, tantalum AKA Colton used in electronics, tungsten also used in components for electronics, and tin. This form of mining is unsafe and high destructive to the eastern lowland gorillas since it is un regulated, it is done by a small group of people who move into ecologically sensitive areas to extract minerals. The mining in the national park is seen as one of the few viable options of generating income for these small groups of people in order to support their families and improve their standards of living but in turn, has led to the decline of the rare gorillas.
Also, the on going pet trade in the Democratic republic of Congo has reduced the number of Eastern low land gorillas in the Kahuzi Biega national park, according to the great ape survival program, the collection and selling of infant apes (gorillas) by the local people and the armed groups in the park is of great loss, these infants are sold to the private buyers and zoo owners in the middle east and Asia after the massacre of family groups. The adults within the gorilla group are first killed for food and meat for selling where as the infants are sold as pets and others to those people with zoos, this trade is illegal and has greatly reduced the population of gorillas in the national park since there is regeneration, adults are killed and infants sold out. Is so unfortunate.
In conclusion therefore, despite of the devastating decline of the eastern lowland gorillas in the democratic republic of Congo, there is great hope for the increased gorillas in the future, the war came to un end and Congo is now politically stable making is a tourism destination (gorilla tourism) in the national park which is of great importance. Today tourists cross from Rwanda to Congo for lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega national park, this is a great income source for lowland gorilla conservation efforts in D.R.Congo. Other support programs both by the government and private organizations are also believed to save these rare endangered species, effective projects, programs and strategies have been put in place and are moving forward to save the rare endangered Eastern lowland gorillas in the Kahuzi Biega national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.