Gorilla Thirst Appeal: Urgent action needed

Mountain gorillas are facing a terrible new threat. An alarming recent report from leading scientists shows that as the world gets hotter because of climate change, temperatures in the areas where the last precious remaining wild mountain gorillas live are predicted to rise by two degrees.

That might not seem like a huge difference. But mountain gorillas have evolved over tens of millions of years to thrive in precisely the conditions where they live. They have thick, shaggy fur that keeps them warm in the cold nights. Climate change means there’s no time for gorillas to evolve to cope with rising temperatures.

In the rainy season, gorillas can find the extra water they need in streams. But in the long, dry months, the streams run dry. And as the climate changes, the rains may fail more often. How will gorillas survive then? We’ve already found a practical solution to this problem – grow plants in the forest that will help gorillas get the vital water they need.

The mountain gorillas’ desperation is going to get worse as temperatures rise. Which is why we need to act now.

Your support will help plant seeds and seedlings in the forest itself that will help gorillas get the extra water they need. We’ve already identified 20 plants with very high water content that can provide vital rehydration for mountain gorillas as the world gets hotter. One of these is the Giant Lobelia. Almost 90% of this is pure water and it can grow to a height of six metres – enough to help rehydrate a whole troop of gorillas.

We’re the first charity to adopt this pioneering approach. But we urgently need your help to buy – and plant – more. It can take plants like these a long time to reach maturity in the heart of the forest. So we need to get as many seeds and seedlings into the ground as quickly as we can in order to give them the longest possible time to grow. We’ve worked so hard to save mountain gorillas. We will not stand by and watch them be destroyed by rising temperatures. Sometimes, terrible problems like climate change can seem almost insoluble. But today, you can help give mountain gorillas a very simple solution indeed.

So please make a donation – and please be as generous as you can. Thank you.