AWF
Unveils Life-sized Mountain Gorilla
Sculpture in Uganda
Jul
22, 2005
(Kampala,
Uganda)
The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF)
today unveiled a life-sized bronze
sculpture of a mountain gorilla in
recognition of Uganda's commitment to
gorilla conservation. The bronze
sculpture entitled "Mountain
Silverback," created by renowned
wildlife sculptor
Bart Walter, will be placed in a
specifically designed public park site
adjacent to the new Uganda Wildlife
Authority's headquarters. The sculpture
is AWF's tribute to the Ugandan people
who have worked tirelessly to help
protect the endangered mountain gorilla
population. While the work of protecting
the mountain gorilla is far from over,
thanks to the work of many, the mountain
gorilla population is realizing a
comeback.
Uganda is one of three African countries
that are home to the world's only
mountain gorillas. The mountain
gorilla population, currently estimated
at 700,
grew 17 percent from 1989 to 2003.
This is welcome news for mountain
gorillas, and for the local people who
benefit from the estimated US$20 million
in revenues generated from
gorilla-related tourism. Aptly named,
mountain gorillas reside in the steep,
forested and mountainous region of East
and Central Africa, including the
Virunga Volcanoes that form the border
between the Democratic Republic of
Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.
"We are thrilled to be able to present a
Bart Walter's sculpture to the Ugandan
people. We hope this life-sized mountain
gorilla sculpture will not only be a
tribute to the important conservation
work that Uganda is undertaking, but
also serve as the centerpiece of an even
greater awareness building effort," said
Patrick Bergin, President of AWF.
"Uganda's commitment to conserve the
mountain gorilla has been extraordinary.
Despite many regional challenges related
to poverty and political unrest, Uganda
has been part of a phenomenal
conservation success story."
Gorilla conservation efforts date back
to 1925 when King Albert of Belgium
established a Gorilla Sanctuary in the
Congo, the precursor to the DRC's
Virunga National Park. In the late 1950s
and 60s, scientists like George Schaller
and Dian Fossey began studying mountain
gorillas in their natural environment
and quickly discovered the conflict
between mountain gorillas and humans.
Beginning in the late 70s, conservation
groups began collaborating to protect
the remaining gorilla populations,
focusing on three primary threats and
habitat loss, disease, and poaching.
Today, one of the main groups working on
gorilla conservation is the
International Gorilla Conservation
Program (IGCP), a coalition of AWF,
Fauna & Flora International, and the
World Wide Fund for Nature. Despite the
political instability of the region,
IGCP continues to work successfully to
create widespread support for
conservation among local communities and
interest groups, and to encourage the
relevant authorities to adopt a
consistent, collaborative approach to
conservation policy and legislation
throughout the region.
# # #
Bart Walter is internationally
renowned for his bronze sculptures which
primarily depict the natural world. Mr.
Walter's work is admired for his ability
to powerfully and sensitively capture a
moment in the life of his subjects. His
sculptures are placed prominently
throughout the United States and abroad
in private and public collections and
are exhibited at the National Geographic
Society Headquarters and the
Smithsonian's National Zoological Park
in Washington, DC. For more information
about Mr. Walter's work, visit
www.bartwalter.com.
# # #
For more information, please contact:
Elodie Sampere
Director of Communications
esampere@awf.org.
Tel: +1-202-939-3333
<< BACK TO UGANDA DESTINATIONS PAGE
