Gorilla Harambe
Rachael Carver is raising money for The Gorilla Organization
In memory of Gorilla Harambe
Story
As I was celebrating my 31st birthday, news of the death of Harambe trended on social media. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a passion for all primates, but most of all, the great apes.
Everyone has an opinion about the outcome of this tragic event, but in reality it is something that could have been avoided had 1) the zoo created enclosures that were safe for both animal and visitors, and 2) the parent(s) of the child holding the child's hand - after all, the child is very young and a zoo is a crowded place.
I really wanted to do something and therefore I've decided to try and raise money, in a sponsorship manner. I'll be doing my own dedication to Harambe - an 8" x 8" drawing, with ink. In a week or two I'll then select somebody at random, who has kindly donated, to receive the original piece, in memory.
About Harambe:
Harambe was a Western Lowland Gorilla, with fewer than 200,000 remaining, and are on the critical endangered species list.
Western gorillas are smaller than their eastern cousins - although males still weigh up to 180kg (28st 4lb) - and often have much redder or greyer fur. Adult males have striking chestnut fur on their head and neck, and the characteristic fur on their back extends further down their thighs giving them a more full-bodied silver look.
Western lowland gorillas live in family groups led by the dominant silverback, but unlike eastern gorillas, the group will often split up during the day, coming back together at night to nest. Like all gorillas, they are largely heribvorous, but western gorillas are particularly fond of fruit, which makes up most of their diet when available. They also eat leaves, shoots, bark, ants and other insects.
Until recently, conservationists were less concerned about the long-term future of the western lowland gorilla as their vast forest home created a natural boundary between them and their human neighbours. But as the logging industry engulfs the forest, bringing roads, hunters and disease, the western lowland gorillas' long-term future has been thrown into uncertainty.
Unlike their eastern cousins, western gorillas are hunted for bushmeat, and in recent years the spread of the Ebola virus has devastated the gorilla population.
-Text from The Gorilla Organization website.
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