Verjee, Z., Said-Moorhouse, L., & Whaley, T. (2014, April 22). Are human viruses killing world’s last remaining gorillas? -CNN.com. Retrieved August 17,2015, from http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/22/world/africa/are-human-viruses-killing-worlds-gorillas/index.html
Without proper protection and prevention from human diseases animals could possibly die from these diseases. Many gorillas are facing extinction, as there are about 880 mountain gorillas left in the world. Humans and gorillas share some genetic material therefore gorillas can easily contract some diseases from humans. When tourists come to visit it can help the local economy benefit however, it may be hurting the gorillas if humans are giving them illnesses. The group Conservation Through Public Health is helping to keep gorillas healthy without reducing the number of tourists.
It is important for tourists to not visit these animals if they are very sick as we now know they can catch them. People who live near the gorillas should stay healthy and improve their health because this will also improve the health of the gorillas. Tourism is still needed to help fund the gorilla organizations and groups that can help keep gorillas healthy. The tourism is providing lots of jobs and income for the community near the gorillas so they are willing to help protect and preserve the life of the gorillas. The more tourist visits each year will help raise money for the Conservation Through Public Health organization; thus, helping the gorillas.
This case is very interesting since tourist’s money is funding the protection of the gorillas, but the tourists themselves are harming them. I hope a way can be found to protect the gorillas both physically and financially.
I didn’t think that their was a drawback to ecotourism, so I am surprised to learn about this. Is there any way to prevent gorillas from contracting human diseases?
This is a really interesting article. I didn’t know that humans can contract diseases from gorillas. This article really explains the difficulty of finding a balance in tourism. What are some illnesses that are commonly contagious among humans and gorillas?
This is an interesting problem as it is Ecotourism that the Gorillas rely on to remain protected. What kinds of diseases can they contract and has this problem prolific or rather isolated I wonder?
I think people shouldn’t be allowed to get near the gorillas if they are the main cause of the decline of gorillas. People should be aware about how they affect their surroundings. There should be signs and warnings about who should be allowed to visit the gorillas. The tourists should be reminded about the dangers that they can be to the gorillas if they are ill.
It’s really unfortunate that gorillas are being effected so negatively by something that’s supposed to help protect them- ecotourism. Perhaps we can put an emphasis on visitors being careful? Humans have a tendency to get nasty and spread germs everywhere, so maybe tour guides can encourage germ safety with cough masks or gloves for those that have more potentially harmful diseases. But I would first have to ask how the gorillas are contracting these diseases (direct contact/sick people touching their living space/etc) and what diseases gorillas have been suffering from?