EcoLocalizer

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is launching a high-tech initiative in an effort to promote awareness, tourism, and gorilla conservation. The unique Friend a Gorilla project will launch on September 26th in Kampala.  Gorilla enthusiasts will now be able to watch, track and befriend real live gorillas from the comfort of their own home.   But wait – there’s more!
Cameras will be positioned in the Bwinidi Impenetrable Forest, located in south-western Uganda, allowing online visitors to get up-close-and-personal from afar.  Virtual visitors will be able to peek in on the endangered gorillas as they eat, sleep, interact and even give birth.

And for just one buck a year, subscribers will be able to track individual gorillas in real time.   Need a friend?   Subscribers can also become a virtual friend with a real-live gorilla!  Learn all about the gorilla and add him or her as a Twitter or Facebook friend!  Subscribers will receive weekly updates and will be able to follow the gorilla using actual GPS coordinates, provided by the UWA Gorilla Trackers!  How cool is that?

In honor of the special project, a celebration will be held at the Kololo Airstrip on Saturday morning and is free to the public.  Later in the evening, a grand Gorilla Gala will be held at the Kampala Serena Hotel where celebrities will be on hand. The funds generated from the Friend a Gorilla will benefit the mountain gorilla conservation effort. 

Mountain Gorillas

Listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, there are only about 700 mountain gorillas left in the wild today.  Once hunted for their meat, skulls and paws, other threats include habitat loss, war and instability.  Gorillas are often gentle and shy and live in groups.  Humans and gorillas are about 98 percent genetically identical!

Photo TKnoxB CC

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