For my third #BrightenYourDay video, to help while away the time whilst #selfisolating against #Covid19, may I present 'Gorilla eats fruit and leaves'.
I really like this shot because of the detail of the hand and the fact that we all eat apples with a very similar action. Deep in the #tropicalrainforest of Congo, Balema, a blackback (adolescent male) #WesternLowlandGorilla, eats a piece of fruit then walks off to find his next morsel of food. By swallowing the seeds while eating fruit and pods, animals such as #primates play a critical role in dispersing the seeds that will grow into the trees of tomorrow - which is why protecting these #GardenersoftheForest is an essential part of efforts to stabilise our changing climate.
#Gorillas are second only to elephants in importance as seed dispersal agents in the forests of the ten African countries with gorilla populations. Balema is a member of Buka's Group, near the #Mondika Research Centre, next to Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, Congo Brazzaville, run by WCS Congo and the #Congo Wildlife Department.
Congo is a signatory of the Convention on Migratory Species and the #GorillaAgreement https://www.cms.int/gorilla/