Conservation in crisis: why Covid-19 could push mountain gorillas back to the brink

Once a step away from extinction, their survival was a rare success story. But groundbreaking gorilla conservation is now in perilEcotourism collapse threatens communities and wildlifeAs he clambers down the forested ravine, soil slipping beneath his boots, Dr Fred Nizeyimana knows they are close. "I can smell them," he says, just before the mountain gorillas come into view high in the canopy, plucking leaves and chomping on the vegetation. An adult female slides down a tree, a flash of black fur and elongated limb. More follow, with infants and juveniles in tow. A grunting silverback descends to join its family, the branches buckling beneath approximately 180kg (400lb) of iconic primate. Continue reading...