Posts tagged rwanda

Today marks a sad and important day in our global history - it has been 19 years since the Rwandan genocide. While difficult to face a past of such tragedy, the future can be powerfully awe-inspiring. 

Rwanda has undergone nearly two decades of reconciliation, progress and peace. In these films, meet the amazing people who exemplified the essence of forgiveness when we visited the Kigali Memorial Center and Murambi School. Visit the Kigali Memorial Center Facebook page for an inside view of their mission. Rwanda is also a place of spectacular natural beauty.View gorilla families in their natural habitat on the misty mountains near the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

As we appreciate this stunning country and remember those who lost their lives, share with us your thoughts on the power of forgiveness. Email us at share@explore.org.

Posted 1 month ago

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For all that chest beating, gorillas mostly get down on simple salads.

Well, simple but not light, eating 40-70 pounds of vegetation a day! They also enjoy a sprinkling of ants and termites for protein. Learn more in this 3-minute film and explore more gorillas, including this rare view of mom and baby.

Posted 2 months ago

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Did You Know? Gorillas (family Hominidae) are one of the four species of great apes that are the closest living relatives of humans – the other three are chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans. Great apes are different from monkeys for a variety of reasons: they are larger, walk upright for a longer period of time, don’t have tails and have much larger, more developed brains. Gorillas are herbivores and eat leaves, shoots, roots, vines and fruits. (Defenders of Wildlife)  “While both are primates, apes and monkeys are in different families. Simians are divided into New World monkeys and Old World simians, with Old World creatures further divided into Old World monkeys and apes. Humans are members of the ape family, distinguished by weediness, lack of hair, technological development and widespread ironic denial of their ape heritage,” (The Guardian).   Check out more on the Endangered Animal Photo Album at Explore.org. 

Did You Know?

  • Gorillas (family Hominidae) are one of the four species of great apes that are the closest living relatives of humans – the other three are chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans.
  • Great apes are different from monkeys for a variety of reasons: they are larger, walk upright for a longer period of time, don’t have tails and have much larger, more developed brains.
  • Gorillas are herbivores and eat leaves, shoots, roots, vines and fruits. (Defenders of Wildlife) 

“While both are primates, apes and monkeys are in different families. Simians are divided into New World monkeys and Old World simians, with Old World creatures further divided into Old World monkeys and apes. Humans are members of the ape family, distinguished by weediness, lack of hair, technological development and widespread ironic denial of their ape heritage,” (The Guardian).  

Check out more on the Endangered Animal Photo Album at Explore.org. 

Posted 4 months ago

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The gorillas of Rwanda are endangered by loss of natural environment and poaching, but like their human cousins, they are affected by the plight of man down below their mountain homes. Rwanda is one of a handful of countries where gorillas are found, but the small state was rocked by an ethnic genocide in 1994. The Sierra Club writes, “The threat to biodiversity from combat can also be illustrated by the Rwanda genocide of 1994. The risk to the already endangered population of mountain gorillas from the violence was of minimal concern to combatants and victims during the 90-day massacre. The threat to the gorillas increased after the war as thousands of refugees, some displaced for decades, returned to the already overpopulated country. Faced with no space to live, they had little option but to inhabit the forest reserves, home to the gorilla population.” 

Find out more about the efforts still being made to rebuild Rwandan unity in the short film above and check out more about efforts to protect gorillas here. 

Posted 9 months ago

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We visited Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda to learn about the lives of mountain gorillas from the African Wildlife Foundation.

Wild mountain gorillas lead peaceful lives and spend their days eating, sleeping, and playing. Although strong and powerful, gorillas are generally gentle and shy. They live in groups of up to 40 gorillas and are led by one dominant male called the silverback, named for the silvery gray hairs that grow when he matures. The silverback serves as the chief leader and protector of the group. 

Posted 12 months ago

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