Pygmies and Gorillas – a common history and a shared habitat

 

Both the silverback mountain gorilla and the native African pygmy are creatures gravely threatened by modern society, and recent Ugandan preservation policy is another addition to their many troubles.

Uganda has paid a good deal of money to move the pygmies out of the rainforest to preserve the natural wildlife (which draws tourists and, more importantly, income), and it has paid a good deal more towards the safeguarding of its native gorillas. However, the government of Uganda has not always been so generous; during the rule of Idi Amin in the 1970s, soldiers regularly slaughtered the endangered wildlife, including the gorillas, for food, profit, or simply target practice.

Now, the pygmies struggle to adapt to their new lifestyle and to the loss of their home, and the future of the mountain gorilla remains uncertain. Whether or not Uganda’s protection measures are to the benefit of all involved remains to be seen.