It is said that primates have human eyes. Yet, if you have ever found yourself vis-à-vis with a gorilla, you will know that it is we who have inherited their gaze, that we have the privilege of carrying such natural intensity in our eyes. The gorillas of the mountains of Uganda possess a gentle pride that does not belong to us. Their eyes tell of how humans have robbed them, of how they have crossed the boundaries of their home and jeopardised their very survival. Even when they are observed nervously charging towards tourists with furious screams, it is impossible to see the powerful dignity fade from their eyes. With their charge they want to frighten without attacking, to communicate that it is time to defend their safety. Their warning makes clear that our time is up, alerting us that we have already stayed in their home long enough.

Only a thousand remain

For decades humans have encroached with their settlements upon the territories inhabited by gorillas, exploiting them, converting them into farmland or grazing land, and these animals, in search of a safe habitat in which to live and reproduce, have been forced into ever-shrinking areas. The mountain gorilla (gorilla beringei beringei) is a subspecies of the eastern lowland gorilla and survives on Earth in only two places: the Virunga chain of volcanoes, on the triple border between Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and within Bwindi National Park in Uganda (Bwindi Impenetrable Forest). These places are home to two isolated groups of mountain gorillas: just over 600 Virunga gorillas and a further 400 individuals in Bwindi. Together, they number around one thousand gorillas today. For this reason, for years they have been categorised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a critically endangered species.

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Going to observe these animals is a breathtaking experience, literally. The walk to reach the mountain gorilla groups is long and gruelling, through dense undergrowth with roots blocking the path, but also with the occasional stream crossing, climbs over slippery mud and steep descents. Not to mention the mud, the dust, the humidity and the insects. All present and accounted for. If you have an adventurous spirit you will be so thrilled at the thought of coming face to face with your first gorilla that none of it will matter much; not even the mud in your underwear. It is certain, however, that even if you are not a fan of the most demanding mountain trekking or trails, your effort will be more than rewarded when you see the first gorilla cub swinging from a branch, only to tumble from the tree and clamber back up awkwardly from the forest floor undergrowth in the way that only a cub can.

Silverback, the alpha male

The mountain gorilla is a social animal and gathers in groups of around thirty individuals led by a male gorilla, the silverback, so named for the strip of silver fur it carries on its back. This alpha male plays the role of guiding the other gorillas to safe places to feed and reproduce. In the Bwindi reserve, after a couple of hours of walking, if one is lucky, a group of gorillas is finally found that includes a silverback, as well as other younger male individuals, mothers and cubs. The first rule is not to stay with the gorilla group for more than one hour, and only once a day. This helps to reduce the impact of the human presence on the mountain gorillas' habitat, since it is very common for the gorillas to approach observers out of curiosity, rubbing against their legs or sniffing their knees — the height they reach with their nose when moving on all fours. The mountain gorilla is not, in fact, particularly tall when one considers that an individual can reach a maximum height of one to two metres when upright, and typically weighs a maximum of 220 kilograms. One should not, however, mistake size for muscular power and physical strength, the principal characteristics of these animals, around which one must move slowly and speak quietly, just as one would do in the proximity of any other wild animal. In the gorillas' forest, the woody smell of their constant flatulence permeates the air, the aroma of dewy bark and damp earth penetrates the nostrils, and the sound of branches and dry leaves crunching incessantly under the gorillas' teeth forms a backdrop broken only by the song of the occasional bird call.

The gorilla generates millions in profit — let us protect it

Mountain gorillas are unaware of it, but according to the WWF, over the course of its lifetime a single individual can generate a profit of around 2.5 million dollars through revenue from sustainable tourism. The number of people who go to observe gorillas in the wild has increased over the past twenty years, and this is not a bad thing, as it has helped to transform the attitudes of local governments, pushing them towards a greater commitment to conservation and to the development of policies for the protection of animals. A socially responsible form of tourism represents a solution for local communities to live in proximity to gorillas without coming into conflict with them — a dynamic that normally always comes at the expense of the animals. These protected nature reserves have created employment opportunities, reducing the poverty rate of local communities and activating financial incentives for conservation policies. According to the African Wildlife Foundation, over the past decade tourist numbers have increased by 82 per cent in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and, consequently, between 2008 and 2016 revenue doubled. Ecotourism in Rwanda is one of the fastest-growing industries on the entire African continent and has contributed to earnings of more than 400 million dollars, at least a percentage of which is reinvested in the community and in the protection of animals.

Furthermore, in order to mitigate as far as possible the dynamics of human-gorilla conflict, a number of logistical solutions have been put in place. For example, the development of tea plantations around mountain gorilla habitats helps to create a buffer zone into which the gorillas do not venture, thereby avoiding the risk of the animals reaching the areas where local communities are settled. Gorillas are not, in fact, partial to tea leaves and tend not to cross the boundaries of their reserves in search of food.

The only threat to gorillas is humans

Gorillas have no predators in the wild, with the exception of the leopard, which sporadically attacks cubs. The only true predator of the gorilla is the human. And although today the violent poaching driven by market demand for gorilla heads and limbs has seen a substantial decline, many threats to the survival of the species remain. Mountain gorillas often die in hunting traps set for antelopes. Furthermore, gorillas share approximately 98.7 per cent of their DNA with humans, with the unfortunate consequence that they are highly vulnerable to contracting our diseases. A simple cold can have devastating effects on the gorilla population. This is why it is necessary to maintain, when observing them, a distance of at least seven metres, and if — as happens — they approach, touching or stroking them is strictly prohibited.

Climate change is currently the greatest threat to the survival of mountain gorillas. Global warming is having devastating impacts on the habitat loss of these animals, and furthermore, due to extractive activities in the mountains of central Africa, gorillas are being forced to live in increasingly fragmented territories. A study published in the scientific journal Ecology and Evolution sets out how climate change increases stress levels in Virunga gorillas, native to the Virunga massif, raising the risk of health and fertility problems and the danger of premature mortality. Through the collection of faecal samples and the measurement of stress hormone levels (glucocorticoids), researchers discovered that the Virunga gorillas are subjected to higher rates of stress during extreme weather conditions — when it is hotter or rainier. The scenario of more extreme climatic possibilities cannot be ruled out at all, given that temperatures in gorilla habitats could rise by at least 3.6 degrees (compared to 1990 levels) by 2029, according to the African Wildlife Foundation.

Without mountain gorillas, the ecosystem they inhabit would be compromised

Allowing mountain gorillas to die out means not only having to give up the possibility of a close encounter with these magnificent animals and observing them only on a screen or on the pages of a book, but it means above all — as is often the case with the extinction of large mammals — compromising the natural balance of the ecosystem in which mountain gorillas live. Without them, munching through tonnes of vegetation each day, the food chain would break down, with consequences not only for the wildlife present in those same areas but also for the local communities that depend on those lands for food, water and other essential resources.

Encountering a mountain gorilla in its natural habitat is an experience capable of offering a deeper understanding of ourselves — not only because it is a considerable physical undertaking, but because in the iridescent eyes of the gorilla we can read the vigour of suffering and endurance in the face of human overreach, and only then can we truly become aware of what we are doing to our planet. The brightness of the gorilla's gaze illuminates what we have not yet fully grasped: harming gorillas is equivalent to destroying ourselves.

At one time the threats to mountain gorillas were so alarming, and at times fatal, that it was thought they would become extinct by the end of the century. And yet, in recent years it appears that the commitment to protection and conservation has borne fruit. Over the past 30 years, the number of Virunga gorillas has increased from 240 to 604 individuals, and that of the Bwindi gorillas to more than 400, for a total of more than one thousand individuals. It is worth considering that in 2012 there were only 880 mountain gorillas, and the growth — though slow — is a positive signal that the increase in the mountain gorilla population is steady. The IUCN classification highlights that the extinction risk for this species has currently decreased; however, our commitment must continue in order to secure the future of mountain gorillas on our planet for generations to come.