A group of tourists trekking through a Ugandan nature reserve got more than they bargained for when a gorilla charged at them.
What's happening?
The footage, posted by the New York Post (@nypost) on Instagram, shows a silverback gorilla rushing downhill toward the tour group while roaring and baring its teeth. Two of the group members are knocked off balance while one cool customer looks on unfazed. Fortunately, it appears nobody was hurt in the encounter.
The incident occurred in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, located within the larger national park. The area covers some 32,000 hectares (over 79,000 acres) and is recognized by the U.N. as a World Heritage Site for its exceptional biodiversity.
In addition to the hundreds of plant species it houses, the park is also home to approximately half of the world's mountain gorillas. Like other gorilla species, their numbers have dwindled sharply due to habitat destruction.
The mountain gorilla is a subspecies of eastern gorilla that typically lives at high elevations in a troop of around five to 10 members led by a dominant silverback male. As the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) notes, they play a key role in the ecosystem through their dietary habits as large-scale grazers.
Why is this incident concerning?
The gorillas at Bwindi are generally used to people, and there are 21 habituated gorilla troops in the reserve. An article in National Geographic describing the gorilla trekking experience notes that the apes are not afraid of people, and groups maintain a minimal distance of just 10 meters.
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A mountain gorilla is capable of moving at speeds up to 25 miles an hour in short bursts, and adults are 10 times stronger than a person, so it's not hard to see how easily things can go wrong. Even well-habituated gorilla troops are still wild animals and will attack if they feel threatened.
The incident raises a rather complex conversation about ecotourism. Some comments on the post derided the group for getting that close.
One Instagram user commented: "Maybe get out of his backyard."
"There are too many tourists nowadays invading their privacy," another said.
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Definitely 👍 What's being done about conflicts between humans and gorillas?
While there's much to be said about the poor behavior of tourists in national parks, it's also true that the visiting tour groups provided badly needed funds to sustain the parks and the surrounding area.
Indeed, UNESCO and the IGCP recognize the role of tourism in conservation efforts, while emphasizing the need for education and community engagement to mitigate conflict and promote peaceful coexistence.
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