2010 Vol 101.pdf (1.63mb) - Primate Society of Great Britain

CONSERVATION IN THE 21 ST CENTURY GORILLAS AS A CASE
STUDY
T.S. Stoinski, H.D. Steklis, & P.T. Mehlman (eds) 2008
(Developments in primatology: progress and prospects)
Springer
ISBN: 9780387707204 (Hardback) £87.50
This book describes the status of gorilla conservation and looks at actual
and potential tools, plans and strategies that are being or could be used in an
attempt to counteract current threats. One strength of the book is the
incorporation of ideas, tools and strategies used in other countries for other
species that might be potentially useful for gorilla, and indeed, primate
conservation in general.
The first section, containing only one chapter by Patrick Mehlman,
describes the threats facing each gorilla species and outlines the problems of
surveying and estimating gorilla numbers in different habitats and
conditions with particular emphasis on Grauer’s gorilla. Mehlman reviews
current conservation strategies and makes suggestions for future research. I
found this chapter very useful as some of the information provided on
surveying mountain gorillas is applicable to my study area in northern
Morocco where conventional methods like line transect surveying are not
appropriate.
The second section is all about conservation on the ground with information
of benefit to everyone managing a primate conservation project. The
impressive work of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project with its holistic
approach to both gorilla and human health is of interest to all. Farmer &
Courage give a long overdue review of the roles of sanctuaries and
reintroduction in gorilla conservation. The chapter on gorilla tourism
attempts to summarise this sometimes controversial conservation strategy,
outlining guidelines for current best practise and warning against an over
dependence on ecotourism as the only strategy to conserve gorillas. Steklis
and Steklis outline the benefits of a long-term research project for
conservation. Jim Sanderson gives a brief but useful guide on how to do
camera trapping using an example of such a study in the Virungas but,
frustratingly, not expanding the chapter to include the results! Another
inspirational chapter was the description of the potential benefits of using
theatre to increase awareness amongst local people of chimpanzees and
their conservation around the Taï Forest by Christophe Boesch and his
team.
Tools facilitating the planning and implementation of conservation
strategies are the focus of the penultimate section. These include a
description of Population and Habitat Viability Analysis workshops, the
TAMARIN system of landscape planning for conservation, a method
48