Killing gorillas with love and sneezes
It seems that hordes of tree-hugging, earth muffin-sniffing, Kum Bay Yah-singing, Gaia-worshipping eco-tourists are significantly contributing to the demise of the rare African mountain gorillas.
According to a report published yesterday by the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project, respiratory diseases are now accounting for about a quarter of all gorilla deaths. Wait for it, wait for it...A little background on our fuzzy friends: Around 700 mountain gorillas live in two separate populations, one in Uganda and the other in a region that straddles Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The animals are classed as critically endangered on the IUCN's red list, although they are the only great ape species whose numbers are increasing.
Well. The Project, based in Ruhengeri, Rwanda, investigated 100 gorilla deaths dating back to 1968. The team found that 40 were due to trauma, for which it is alleged that poaching is almost always the cause in adults. More surprising was the detrimental effect of respiratory diseases, including influenza A and parainfluenza viruses, which killed 24 of the animals. This has been attributed to direct contact with human admirers.
And so? Did the Project come up with sensible rules to ensure that the gorillas don't become infected with human flu strains? You make the call: In a bid to cut the risk of people passing these diseases on, eco-tourists who trek to see the gorillas in the wild already have to stay at least seven meters away, and keep their visits to no more than an hour.
How profound! How caring! Right out of the Centers for Disease Control's playbook - NOT! If they are so serious about protecting the critters, how about simply banning these wacko, uber rich eco-whores from disturbing the gorillas in their natural habitat? If they are denied access they can't place liplocks on the beasts. No, no...that would be common sense and besides, everybody knows that the spoiled little trekkies would withhold their Earth First and Sierra Club dues if they were denied access. They must show they care more than anybody else, even if it means killing all of the gorillas.
The only bit that is surprising in all this idiocy is that the deaths weren't blamed on global warming.