URGENT Appeal: Keep Gorillas Safe from Deadly COVID-19
One deadly virus has been defeated. But another is on the way. Will you help gorillas survive?
Even at the best of times, respiratory diseases are one of the biggest killers of gorillas in the wild. But these are not the best of times. The COVID-19 pandemic has reached the edge of the gorilla habitat. For the gorillas, unable to isolate themselves and stay safe, it really is a matter of life and death.
We’ve proven we can keep gorillas safe from deadly diseases. At the start of March, the United Nations reported the last case of Ebola in DR Congo. Thankfully, this most recent outbreak did not reach the gorillas. The ‘green wall’ of rangers, generously supported by the Gorilla Organization’s supporters, kept the gorillas safe from harm. But now another threat, just as deadly as Ebola, looms. And that green wall is needed more than ever.
Here’s how you can help:
£10 Will help provide rangers with kit to go out and help gorillas to ‘self-isolate’
£15 Will help remove deadly snares and even landmines from the gorilla habitat
£50 Can help support specialist vets treat injured gorillas
£100 Will support rangers’ families while their men are away
Patrolling the forests, keeping gorillas safe from poachers and from disease, is difficult and dangerous work. Almost 200 rangers have lost their lives in the past 20 years. But our rangers will tell you that all their sacrifices are worth it. We have not seen a single death from Ebola among the gorillas we have been safeguarding in Walikale.
Now, with your help, we can act to protect them against COVID-19.
Anything you give today will help give rangers the new supplies they need to survives for long periods on the frontline, patrolling the forests, and helping gorillas to isolate from the pandemic.