Article
Marcus Westberg

Gorilla Guardians

Meet the scientists and caretakers who work to protect these endangered apes

By Mara Grunbaum
From the September 2021 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will evaluate how human activity affects endangered mountain gorillas.

Lexile: 970L; 620L
Guided Reading Level: S
Download and Print

© Skyler Bishop for Gorilla Doctors (Gaspard Nzayisenga)

Veterinarian Gaspard Nzayisenga

Veterinarian Gaspard Nzayisenga (zah-yee-SEN-gah) works near a national park in the Central African country of Rwanda. One day in July 2020, a call came over the radio. A baby mountain gorilla was caught in a snare, or animal trap, that someone had set to catch antelope. The baby’s family had tried to pull the baby free, but that only tightened the snare.

Nzayisenga is part of an organization called Gorilla Doctors. It is one of several groups working to protect mountain gorillas and their habitat. Mountain gorillas are a subspecies of eastern gorilla. They are found only in the mountains between Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (see High-Up Home, below). The gorillas are endangered, so protecting each individual animal is important. 

Gaspard Nzayisenga (zah-yee-SEN-gah) is a veterinarian. He works near a national park in the Central African country of Rwanda. A call came over the radio one day in July 2020. Someone had set a snare to catch an antelope. But the animal trap had caught a baby mountain gorilla instead. The baby’s family had tried to pull it free. But that only tightened the snare.

Nzayisenga is part of a group called Gorilla Doctors. It works to protect mountain gorillas. They’re a subspecies of eastern gorilla. Mountain gorillas’ habitat is between Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (see High-Up Home, right). The gorillas are endangered. So protecting each animal is important. 

Gorilla Doctors treat sick or injured gorillas. Then they release the animals back into the wild. They also treat orphaned gorillas at a sanctuary in the region. 

Veterinarians with the Gorilla Doctors treat sick or injured wild gorillas. They also treat gorillas that live at a sanctuary in the region, where caretakers raise orphaned gorillas in captivity. 

When Nzayisenga learned about the trapped baby, he and two other vets packed their gear and drove to the mountains. “We knew we had to get there quickly,” he says.

Nzayisenga heard about the trapped baby gorilla. He and two other vets jumped into action. They packed their gear. They drove to the mountains. “We knew we had to get there quickly,” Nzayisenga says.

© Gorilla Doctors

Workers who interact with wild gorillas wear masks to prevent the spread of disease.

Shrinking Home

© Gorilla Doctors

A team of Gorilla Doctors veterinarians care for a baby gorilla whose hand was injured in a trap. 

Mountain gorillas live about 2,500 to 4,000 meters (8,200 to 13,100 feet) high in the mountaintop forests. Their thick fur protects them from temperatures that drop below freezing. The apes spend their days roaming the forest in troops, or family groups, of 10 to 20 individuals, eating wild fruits, tree bark, and other plant material.

Mountain gorillas live in forests. They sit atop mountains about 2,500 to 4,000 meters (8,200 to 13,100 feet) high. The apes have thick fur. It protects them from the cold. They roam the forests in troops. These family groups contain 10 to 20 gorillas. The troops search for food, like wild fruits, tree bark, and other plant parts.

Marcus Westberg

Adult male gorillas are called silverbacks because of the silver stripe on their backs. Mountain gorillas live in family groups of 10 to 20 individuals called troops.

For more than 100 years, the human population near the gorillas’ habitat has been growing. As people take up more space and cut down trees where mountain gorillas live, the gorillas have had to move farther uphill. Wars in the region have also led to many gorillas being killed.

To protect the gorillas, governments have created national parks where it’s illegal to interfere with wildlife. But people still enter the parks to illegally harvest wood or trap animals for food. Poachers don’t usually target gorillas. But the snares they set for other animals can harm or kill the apes.

Plus, because gorillas are closely related to people, they are vulnerable to human illnesses. Encounters with humans put them at risk of catching diseases such as Ebola or Covid-19.

For more than 100 years, the human population near the gorillas’ habitat has been growing. As people take up more space and cut down trees where mountain gorillas live, the gorillas have had to move farther uphill. Wars in the region have also led to many gorillas being killed.

To protect the gorillas, governments have created national parks where it’s illegal to interfere with wildlife. But people still enter the parks to illegally harvest wood or trap animals for food. Poachers don’t usually target gorillas. But the snares they set for other animals can harm or kill the apes.

Plus, because gorillas are closely related to people, they are vulnerable to human illnesses. Encounters with humans put them at risk of catching diseases such as Ebola or Covid-19.

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International

Researcher Winnie Eckardt searches the forest for clues to track and count gorillas.

Protection From People

The Virunga Mountains, where Nzayisenga works, are home to most of the world’s mountain gorillas. By the 1980s, this population had dwindled to only 242 individuals. Dian Fossey, an American primatologist who had studied gorillas since 1967, set out to protect them. Before she died in 1985, her organization hired the first veterinarian to treat gorillas in Rwanda. That work led to the founding of Gorilla Doctors. 

The Karisoke (kahr-ee-SOH-kee) Research Center in northern Rwanda also continues the work that Fossey started. Its staff checks on groups of mountain gorillas daily. They also help villagers develop new farming techniques so they don’t need to hunt in the forest to survive.

To find out if these efforts are working, scientists count mountain gorillas. They hike through the forest and collect the apes’ droppings. The dung contains DNA that scientists can use to identify each gorilla. In 2016, a research team led by Karisoke scientist Winnie Eckardt (EK-ert) used this method to count 604 gorillas in the Virunga Mountains. That’s the most ever found in the area! “There’s strong evidence that the population is growing,” says Eckardt.

Nzayisenga works in the Virunga Mountains. They’re home to most of the world’s mountain gorillas. There were only 242 of them by the 1980s. Dian Fossey set out to protect them. She was an American primatologist who had studied gorillas since 1967. Before she died in 1985, she hired the first veterinarian to treat the gorillas. That led to the founding of Gorilla Doctors. 

Another group is continuing the work that Fossey started. It’s the Karisoke (kahr-ee-SOH-kee) Research Center. It’s in northern Rwanda. Its staff checks on groups of mountain gorillas daily. They also help villagers develop new farming practices. That way they don’t need to hunt in the forest to survive.

Scientists count mountain gorillas to learn if these efforts are working. They hike through the forest. They collect the apes’ droppings. The dung contains the animals’ DNA. Scientists can use it to identify each gorilla. 

Winnie Eckardt (EK-ert) is a Karisoke scientist. She led a research team in 2016. They used this method to count 604 gorillas in the Virunga Mountains. That’s the most ever found in the area! “There’s strong evidence that the population is growing,” says Eckardt.

Marcus Westberg

A caretaker cradles an injured gorilla before it is treated by Gorilla Doctors vets.

Rescue Mission

Back in July 2020, the Gorilla Doctors vets hiked for hours up the mountain. When they reached the trapped baby gorilla, the rest of the troop was gone. They gave the baby medicine to calm it down. They released it from the snare and cleaned its wounds. 

Finally, the team carried the baby about 500 meters (0.3 miles) to its troop. When they set it down, a male gorilla scooped it up and passed it to its mother. “Being able to see that reunion was spectacular,” says Nzayisenga. 

Mountain gorillas are the only wild apes whose numbers are increasing. But that doesn’t mean the work of the conservation groups is done. “I feel positive about the population’s growth,” says Nzayisenga. “But the threats are still there.” 

The Gorilla Doctors hiked for hours up the mountains back in July 2020. They finally reached the trapped baby gorilla. But the rest of the troop was gone. They gave the baby medicine to calm it down. They freed it from the snare. They cleaned its wounds. 

Finally, the team found the baby’s troop. They set it down. A male gorilla scooped it up. He passed the baby to its mother. “Being able to see that reunion was spectacular,” says Nzayisenga. 

Mountain gorillas are the only wild apes whose numbers are rising. But that doesn’t mean the work of groups like Gorilla Doctors is done. “I feel positive about the population’s growth,” says Nzayisenga. “But the threats are still there.” 

video (1)
Activities (2)
Quizzes (1)
Answer Key (1)
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

1. ENGAGE: Activate knowledge of endangered species and watch a video about primates.

  • Ask students what an “endangered species” is, focusing on “danger” to help infer meaning. (An endangered species is in danger of dying out.) Brainstorm endangered species, including primates like gorillas. Show photos of local endangered species (available at https://www.fws.gov/endangered/).
  • Ask students what could cause a species to become endangered. (e.g., habitat loss) Are these caused by human activity? How can humans help? (e.g., preserve habitat)
  • Refer to the student list of endangered species and highlight any primates. Explain that you’re going to read about people helping an endangered primate after you watch a video about these animals. Play the video Primate Time. Have students share what they learned from the video.

2. EXPLORE: Preview the article and make evidence-based predictions.

  • Preview the article in presentation view. Ask students to predict the article’s main idea. Note: The people in the article are trained professionals who follow safety standards; it is otherwise dangerous to interact with a gorilla.

3. EXPLAIN: Summarize the article and analyze data about how scientists are helping endangered mountain gorillas.

  • Share the My Notes graphic organizer. Read the article aloud, stopping after the first section to model how to add notes to the righthand column. Continue reading, pausing to ask students for information to include. After reading, have students share key ideas. Add those ideas in the left-hand column. Then have students finish the skills sheet.
  • Distribute Up for the Count. Explain that each dot on the graph’s line marks a year that scientists counted gorillas. The y-axis shows the gorilla population and the x-axis shows the year. The lines between the dots estimate the population between counts. Examine the markings on the x-axis. Ask: How could you find a year that isn’t labeled? (Count up by twos. Odd years are between two markings.) Have students complete the skills sheet in pairs and discuss the answers as a class.

4. EXTEND: Use text evidence and personal experience to imagine the emotions scientists felt during the rescue of the baby gorilla described in the article.

  • Ask students to reflect on how they felt when they were reading about the trapped baby gorilla—and about its rescue. How do they think scientists felt? How might scientists’ feelings have affected their actions? (e.g., feeling empathy for a scared baby could have made them be gentle when removing the snare)
  • Have students complete the Learning Extension, shown on the next page, and then share their work in small groups.

5. EVALUATE: Assess learning with a multiple-choice check for understanding.

  • Preview the No-Sweat Bubble Test. Have students complete it in pairs, referring to the article. 

Text-to-Speech