BY ALEX NGARAMBE

Mountain gorillas in the Great Lakes region are usually known not to be heavy consumers of water during their lifetime. Now studies indicate that the frequency of their consumption has increased.

Mountain gorillas are the only great apes that live in high mountains and their population is less than 1,000 in the whole world.

They live in volcanic areas in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo in central Africa. There are 2 populations of the mountain gorilla: the Bwindi population has about 400 gorillas and the Virunga population has about 480 gorillas. Climate change is the variation in the Earth’s global or regional climates over time.

These changes can make the environment more difficult for mountain gorillas to live in. Changes to the mountain gorillas’ habitat can affect many other animals and plants as well.

However, warmer temperatures due to climate change have led to increased differingbehaviour of the primates according to a recent study. As the climate has changed over the decades, Mountain Gorillas tended to take more water, changing their behaviour to cope with the increasing temperature.

Varying temperatures as a result of climate change on; Gorillas are well-insulated to deal with the cold temperatures at the mountain elevations that sometimes reach near freezing. When it gets hot, the primates retreat deep into bushes away from the sun rays where it’s a little cooler.

If temperatures get consistently high due to climate change, having to find standing water and hiding in deep vegetation to rest could take away from foraging. This in turn could hurt the amount of energy they have, which has implications for the population of the great apes.

According to Dr Jean Felix Kinani, a Rwandan researcher, who observed the new behaviour years back, he says they can be seen drinking water using the back of their hands.

This was a surprising observation by the scientist since it had long known that these primates disliked water and rain according to a report by Dr Dian Fossey the famous scientist who studied gorillas and lived with them for almost two decades.

According to reports, Uganda and Rwanda have already experienced the impact of climate change, with increased temperatures and frequencies of extreme weather events. Mountain gorillas are very sensitive to small changes in temperature and rainfall.

If temperatures rise, mountain gorillas will have to climb higher up into the mountains to find the cool air that they are used to. But, if they do that, they may not be able to find enough food.

If rainfall goes down, the plants that the mountain gorillas eat may not grow as well. These plants are not found in other places so the mountain gorillas may not be able to find enough food somewhere else. Rise in temperature and limited availability of water negatively affect the gorillas.

Specifically, the mean annual temperature has increased by approximately 2.1 °C over the past 50 years, with the trend expected to continue in the coming decades. Additionally, rainfall has become less seasonal.

Studies have indicated that the behaviour and overall health of the gorillas are being affected. The feeding habits and forest activities of the mountain gorillas, which have been monitored over several years, suggest changes in response to variations in temperature and rainfall.

Mounting research, based on tracking the gorillas, shows the animals moving to different areas in the mountains. It is suggested this is a response to climate changes, with the gorillas seeking out locations where the conditions are suitable for them.

Using data from 21 Gorilla families in the two populations between 2010 and 2020, it was revealed that the frequency of water drinking significantly increased at higher maximum temperatures than cooler ones. No relationship between water drinking and rainfall was found. Bwindi Mountain Gorillas consumed about 6 % of the days observed water whereas the Virunga gorillas took only 0.6 % of observation days.

This difference between the two populations may be due to the overall lower temperatures in the Virungas (due to higher altitude). However, Virunga gorillas consumed more foods with higher water content than Bwindi gorillas, which in part likely explains why they drink water much less frequently.

Although the mountain gorillas face many challenges like cross-border insecurities and climate change, efforts to preserve them have paid fruit since the population in the Virunga Massif has grown by 23%, according to the most recent census.

“Since Kwita Izina began, 374 baby mountain gorillas have been named, and the population in the Virunga Massif has grown by 23%, according to the most recent census. This remarkable achievement would not have been possible without the communities living around the park, dedicated conservationists and researchers as well as visionary leadership. That is why today is also a celebration of the transformative power of conservation in local communities.” said Michella Rugwizangoga, Chief Tourism Officer, Rwanda Development Board during last year’s gorilla naming ceremony.

The East African region is endowed with a variety of tourist attractions such as wildlife, drainage features, historical sites, and coastal landforms which all attract foreign tourists. This makes it a good destination for many foreign tourists including those who wish to go on self-drive Safaris – combing Rwanda and Uganda.

However, poverty and other barriers to community participation in tourism include low formal education, elite domination, lack of information and coordination between multiple stakeholders, and a traditional approach to livelihoods which are some of the challenges to the sector in the region.

It has also been reported that one of the lead gorillas with tourists, called Mugisha, has been observed drinking water more frequently than gorillas in the past. This is thought because frequent periods of hot temperatures and dry conditions are being experienced in the mountains. Failure to do so may result in dehydration and malnutrition. In the long run, the health of the mountain gorillas as a whole could be at potential risk.

As the number of visitors that go and see the gorillas in their natural habitat increases year in and year out, the major focus in preserving mountain gorilla lives will be the conservation of the existing gorilla natural habits and education of the local communities and also the various visitors.