Shifts in climate are causing a big change in gorilla behavior, according to The East African.

What's happening?

Researchers have seen mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda are taking to drinking more water as heat waves have become more intense. This shift in behavior threatens their long-term health, as it means they may spend less time foraging for food and keeping caloric intake up.

"These findings highlight that even in rainforest mammals that gain most of their water requirements from food, access to free-standing water may be important because it likely facilitates evaporative cooling in response to thermoregulatory stress," a study in Frontiers in Conservation Science stated.

Atmospheric pollution is a primary driver of extreme weather events such as heat waves and droughts. These trends apply distinct pressure on biodiversity across the board. Other studies have suggested that increased heat also increases animal aggression.  

Why are mountain gorillas important?

Mountain gorillas graduated from a critically endangered status to an endangered one in 2018. Populations in the Rwandan Virunga Massif mountain range have gone from 880 in 2012 to over 1,063 currently. 

Ecologically, mountain gorillas play a key role in seed dispersal, plant pruning, and landscape clearing, which gives low-lying plants access to sunlight that would otherwise be obstructed by the canopy. 

What's being done about protecting mountain gorillas?

While the solution to mitigating the impact of heat waves on mountain gorillas is to reduce atmospheric pollution, there are other threats to address. Volcanoes National Park is expanding by over 9,000 acres and relocating over 3,000 households to preserve deteriorating gorilla habitat. 

Other studies confirm that these gorillas are suffering from overcrowding, which can lead to challenging interactions with humans. Park managers are optimistic about the restoration initiative.

"Human activities still pose risks, so we're expanding the park and promoting climate-resilient livelihoods. This way, gorillas and humans can coexist sustainably," said Prosper Uwingeri, chief park warden at Volcanoes, per The East African.

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