Lowland gorillas can be traced in central Africa with in the Kahuzi Biega national park of the Democratic Republic of Congo, situated South Kivu Province, East of the country. Trekking lowland gorillas in the Kauzi Biega can easily be done when in Rwanda, crossing the border into the Democratic Republic of Congo to see the gorillas and back into Rwanda. The Kahuzi national park is a low-lying jungle forest, and this is where the inhabiting gorillas get their name while mountain gorillas are called so, because of the mountainous nature of their habitat.
Also referred to as the western lowland gorillas, the park comprises of two habituated gorilla groups – the Chimanuka group & Mugaruka family, which can be visited by a group of eight people each day.
Today, the low land gorilla population within the Congo is reducing due to quite a number of factors including uncontrolled poaching from neighboring communities, diseases, encroachment of forestland, political insecurities in the Congo which has made conservation efforts in this area limited. With few visitors starting to go trek lowland gorillas in Congo, there is not enough revenue to sustain continued and effective conservation funding from the responsible government.
The gorilla fund in bid to protect the gorillas, first established a research fund in the Congo to come up with the actual threats, and decide on how to best address them so as the protect lowland gorillas. The research reveled that the biggest threat to the lives of lowland gorillas was man! Many people were hunting down gorillas for bush meat, for home consumption and sale. The Fund hence introduced a community-farming project to help communities neighboring the forest get an alternative to home subsistence supply other than hunting and hurting gorillas for food.
The fund has introduced communal farming projects, where it teaches the locals productive farming practices so that they are in position to enough food crops to feed their families as well as the number of domestic animals that can act as sources of meat for the locals. This is a rural development plan to save other wildlife like duikers, buffaloes and antelopes.
This community initiative started by the Dian Fossey fund started supporting community farming by introducing and increasing food crops farming and animals to enable the local people surrounding the park to get a number of options where they could choose from rather than relying on the few food stuffs they had as well as on bush meat. Eggplants, beans, rice, pigs and many others were some of the food crops and animals that were greatly supported in community farming projects.
Role played by the conservation Fund
Introduction of quality community farming by introduction of improved farming methods so as to produce large food quantities so they sustain food production for their families. The fund has greatly emphasized improved farming
The community-farming project put attention on developing model farms that would be capable of producing food crops and meat that can out compete bush meat in the major local markets around.
Training locals on improved and standard farming methods, supply farming equipment, supply of good seeds, farming equipment for use
Providing a ready market for the food products from local communities
In conclusion, the community farming method to protect the lowland gorillas and other wildlife staying in African forested jungles is a great method to protect and ensure conservation of gorillas in the mist of central Africa. With an alternative food supply option, this will completely stop the poaching habit. Hence saving the western Lowland gorillas of Eastern Congo.