--- title: How to Greet a Mountain Gorilla | TIME description: Rwanda's mountain gorillas are the centerpiece of a program that combines tourism with conservation canonical: https://time.com/video/XiruFrH8/ og:title: How to Greet a Mountain Gorilla og:description: Rwanda's mountain gorillas are the centerpiece of a program that combines tourism with conservation og:url: https://time.com/video/XiruFrH8/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/XiruFrH8/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How to Greet a Mountain Gorilla twitter:description: Rwanda's mountain gorillas are the centerpiece of a program that combines tourism with conservation twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/XiruFrH8/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # How to Greet a Mountain Gorilla > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: How to Greet a Mountain Gorilla [Watch (HLS stream): How to Greet a Mountain Gorilla](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/XiruFrH8.m3u8) (6:14)  _Published 2012-06-05. Rwanda's mountain gorillas are the centerpiece of a program that combines tourism with conservation_ --- Jul 27, 2023 3:24 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [Africa's Mountain Gorillas Could Also Be at Risk From Coronavirus](/video/4KOmcJKd/) ### Africa's Mountain Gorillas Could Also Be at Risk From Coronavirus [The World’s Oldest Known Gorilla Has Died at 60: ‘She Was an Ambassador for Gorillas’](/video/lwGT2nWI/) ### The World’s Oldest Known Gorilla Has Died at 60: ‘She Was an Ambassador for Gorillas’ [How Rwanda Benefits from Endangered Gorillas](/video/8fKLSwKz/) ### How Rwanda Benefits from Endangered Gorillas --- ## Transcript [ SOUND ] It's better to stay and he tried to go. If one of them come when somebody's staying somewhere, that cannot be good. For him and it can be difficult for me to save to defend if something happens. [ CROSSTALK ] It's Passion Dusabiamas' job as a guide to keep safe both treckers and the rare mountain gorillas they've come to Rwanda to see. The, the I mean Roebuck is leading the group. That is, taking them where there, there is enough food. He's part of a pioneering approach that joins high end tourism with conservation. [ INAUDIBLE ] Please. Please, please, please. The critically endangered mountain gorilla is only found in this small range of volcanic mountains which span Uganda, The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. The gorillas live in small families and only 8 clans are open to the tourists. Each is led by a silver back, the alpha male. They [ INAUDIBLE ] that one is the assisting they called Mr Gohanda. Gohanda is the largest ape in the park. More than 220 kilos. The biggest knew about it. The biggest guy. Gorillas are plant eaters. They eat at least 60 pounds of leaves and branches each day. [ INAUDIBLE ] we move but because [ INAUDIBLE ] All visitors need to keep a 20 foot distance, but that's actually for the gorilla's safety. They're so similar to humans, they can catch our diseases. Sit, sit, please sit down. Please sit down. Sit down. He's okay. He's in a good mood. When he sits down it's kind of showing respect. [ INAUDIBLE ] aside. You can't run away and they are very happy to see that people kneeling down, submitting in front of them. That's why you saw him passing here. A peaceful result. Being oppressive. [ SOUND ] I like to them when we are putting them down. We use these vocalizations. [ SOUND ] [ NOISE ] Don't do that. Don't do that. Okay. That means go away. Only be scared, I cool him down. [ NOISE ] Okay, he's saying everything is okay. [ NOISE ] She's called [ UNKNOWN ]. To guides and scientists, the secret of knowing who's who, begins with the shape of their nose. As we have, well fingerprint, they have nose breathes. By nose breathes, you know each and everybody. May keep going and, when we are in front of them, it is better to stay in a tight group, together. Just ten years ago, these gorillas were edging nearer to extinction. Even today only about 790 mountain gorillas remain. [ CROSSTALK ] But that' s 124 more than just 9 years ago. With the great majority found in Volcano's national park, home to more than 480 gorillas. [ SOUND ] The population growth owes a lot to Rwanda's successfully linking conservation to business. Driving an economic boom through gorilla tourism. [ MUSIC ] This is where the treks start, each morning, at Park headquarters. [ MUSIC ] In 2011, a record 23, 000 visitors came here. And, each of them paid the steep $ 500 permit fee. The entertainment is one of the many indirect ways, gorilla tourism feeds the local economy. There are new hotels, handicraft sales, and jobs guiding tourists on the mountains. Volcanoes Park is now Rwanda's most lucrative attraction, and tourism is the country's leading source of foreign currency. Looking to the future of protecting this unique habitat, the government has been reaching out to local communities. We loved having these communities as excited as you know other people like tourists are excited then the sustainable conservation of this park we fed. The dangers come from illegal logging or farming going on in the park. And also from the traps that poachers set for other game, that ends up hurting gorillas. To enlist local support in protecting the park, Rwanda has taken an innovative approach. There are programs that work with former poachers, giving them jobs in the park [ SOUND ] Another program builds local schools with funds taken from an annual five percent of the millions from trekking permits. [ SOUND ] The success of Rwanda's efforts at Volcano Park gives hope that these unique animals will survive and hope that their presence can also bring benefits. [ SOUND ] To the impoverished people who share this region with them. [ SOUND ] They are protecting by themselves this park. This is very good for our children. For the whole world this is very important. [ SOUND ] [ MUSIC ] From Volcanoes National Park Rwanda this is Ed Robbins from Time Video and the International Recording Project. 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