I think what's going on with gorillas is pretty bad. The fact is that you can buy gorilla meat in London any day you want it.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Gorillas are in danger of being wiped out by the Ebola virus. I feel like we have limited time to get to know them and understand them and they're going to disappear - that's terrifically sad. Wouldn't it be great if we could stop that?
The more you learn about the dignity of the gorilla, the more you want to avoid people.
Gorillas are almost altruistic in nature. There's very little if any 'me-itis.' When I get back to civilization, I'm always appalled by 'me, me, me.'
Gorilla tourism is vital to Rwanda's economy: It's the third highest source of income.
Gorillas are still wild creatures. That's made very clear when you observe them in nature. They charge and perform other displays that are terrifying by design. But they don't attack unless they feel threatened.
Gorillas may seem terrifying because of their bodies, but they are really magnificent and very gentle.
In Africa, we have the bush meat trade, which means that, on a very large scale, animals are being killed in the forests and sold in the cities as a luxury food.
Gorillas have a belch vocalization, which is sort of like, 'I'm OK, you're OK.' They do a pig grunt, which is reprimanding. They sing, they laugh, and they hoot, which grows into a chest-beating display.
When I visit my brother in South Africa, I order things I've only seen in zoos. Little deers and kudu, all the mammals you would never think of eating.
I feel more comfortable with gorillas than people. I can anticipate what a gorilla's going to do, and they're purely motivated.