nature conservation and well-managed and well-managed. “Tourism can really help wildlife if done well,” but only if revenue from tourism actually flows into local communities. Encounters with gorillas are high on many people's bucket lists, and Bwindi's Impenetrable Forest National Park is now surrounded by hotels, lounges, craft stalls and hiking centers. Dr Gladys said: "When I started (in this job) there were only about five hotels, now there are 70." She continued: "Hotels create jobs, NGOs create jobs. Chance." Gorilla tourism boosts the entire regional economy, generating enough revenue to cover most of the operating costs of Uganda's wildlife conservation services. _125402596_2manager Photo Credit: BBC News Dr Gladys Kalema Zikusoka believes tourism can contribute to wildlife conservation when properly managed.
Bwindi's chief guardian, Nelson Guma, also believes that tourism revenue is crucial because it can be exchanged for the cooperation of the local community. "Members of these communities live right next to the national park, so we think they should be involved in conservation raster to vector conversion and should benefit from conservation." Visiting a family of gorillas doesn't come cheap. It costs $600 per person; gorillas in Uganda receive up to 40,000 visits a year. The local community receives a 20% revenue share from the park. Mountain gorilla conservation has another huge benefit. To protect gorillas, you need to protect the entire forest ecosystem.
Bwindi's impenetrable forest is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, so protecting gorillas also protects thousands (possibly tens of thousands) of other species. _125429223_contactsheet-001 Photo Credit: BBC News Protecting mountain gorillas in the forest means thousands of wild animals in this reserve are also protected What's more, the cash the gorillas help earn has been used to eliminate other threats. Like poachers. Mountain gorillas used to occasionally fall into traps set by poachers to hunt deer, wild boar and other animals. The hides and meat of captured animals can be sold for money to support households.