The Year of The Gorilla, 2009

By JENNIFER HILL – Tampa Bay Online

To highlight the plight of gorillas in the wild, several zoological organizations have dubbed 2009 the Year of the Gorilla.

Here in Tampa, Busch Gardens is focusing attention on gorillas at its Great Ape Domain in the park’s Myombe Reserve.

As she gave a few apricot treats to the gorillas, park employee Kris Arnold cited the great need for preservation of gorillas in their natural habitat. “These guys are critically endangered in the wild.”

Gorillas are hunted for their meat, and their babies are taken for pets, she said.

The problem seems overwhelming, but we can do something, Arnold said – even here, half a world away.

One thing, she said, is to always use certified lumber. Illegal logging, she said, is eating away at the gorillas’ habitat.

When people visit Myombe Reserve from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Sunday, there will be activities including talks by keepers and hands-on gorilla enrichment (a special treat or toy for the apes), foraging for food the way a gorilla does and exploring a research station.

Year of the Gorilla is a designation from the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the U.N. Environment Program and the Great Ape Survival Partnership.

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