• → European Space Agency

      • Space for Europe
      • Space News
      • Space in Images
      • Space in Videos
    • About Us

      • Welcome to ESA
      • DG’s blog
      • For Member State Delegations
      • Business with ESA
      • Law at ESA
      • ESA Exhibitions
      • ESA Publications
      • Careers at ESA
      • ESAshop
    • Our Activities

      • Space News
      • Observing the Earth
      • Human and Robotic Exploration
      • Space Transportation
      • Navigation
      • Space Science
      • Space Engineering & Technology
      • Operations
      • Telecommunications & Integrated Applications
      • Preparing for the Future
    • Careers at ESA

    • For Media

      • Media
      • ESA TV
      • Videos for professionals
      • Photos
    • For Educators

    • For Kids

    • ESA

    • Observing the Earth

    • Understanding Our Planet

    • Securing Our Environment

    • Benefiting Our Economy

    • About securing our environment
    • Space & Environment Intelligence

      • Copernicus

        • Overview
      • International treaties implementation

        • Overview
        • Wetlands convention
        • Combat Desertification convention
        • Kyoto Protocol
      • Safeguarding World Heritage sites

        • Overview
        • Gorilla habitats
    • Space & Public Safety

      • Civil protection assistance

        • Overview
        • Fire mapping
        • Earthquake rescue support
        • Flood monitoring
        • Pollution tracking
      • Humanitarian aid support

        • Overview
      • Epidemiology understanding

        • Overview
    • About Earth observation

      • View from above
      • ESA for Earth
      • How to access data
    • Multimedia

      • Image Gallery
      • Video Gallery

    ESA > Our Activities > Observing the Earth > Securing Our Environment

    Gorilla habitats

    A baby gorilla

    African mountain gorillas are close human relatives. Even so, hunting and deforestation have brought them to the brink of extinction: only a few hundred mountain gorillas remain alive, concentrated in relatively inaccessible forest parks.

    Located in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, most of these national parks are recognised World Heritage sites, but even so the mountain gorillas remain under threat. Long-term regional unrest has driven refugees into the region and led to illegal poaching and forest clearances.

    To help conserve the mountain gorillas, ESA co-operated with the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and groups on the ground in Central Africa in a project called Build Environment for Gorilla or BEGo.

    It involved ESA supplying Earth observation imagery and products to conservation bodies and authorities working to monitor and protect the habitats of mountain gorillas within national parks in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    Virunga volcanoes
    Virunga volcanoes

    Tracking land use change

    The data was combined with ground observations to produce maps and digital elevation models of the terrain as well as highlight land use changes over time – which may correspond with encroachment onto gorilla habitats.

    And previously unavailable vegetation classification maps derived from space observations enabled researchers to find out more about how the gorillas migrate through and utilise the resources of the forest around them, improving authorities' ability to care for them.

    Rate this

    Views

    Share

    • Currently 3.5 out of 5 Stars.
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5
    Rating: 3.5/5 (6 votes cast)

    Thank you for rating!

    You have already rated this page, you can only rate it once!

    Your rating has been changed, thanks for rating!

    2108
    Tweet
    • Related news
      • Satellite maps will ease plight of endangered mountain gorillas
        • Satellites map volcanic home of Africa’s endangered gorillas
          • Plans finalised for satellites to help safeguard gorilla habitats
            • ESA maps satellite help for gorilla guardians
            • Related missions
            • ERS overview
            • Envisat
            • In depth
            • Data User Element
            • Related links
            • UNESCO
            • International Gorilla Conservation Programme
            • United Nations Great Ape Survival Project
            • Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International
    • App Store
    • Subscribe
    • mobile version
    • ESA Observing the Earth Twitter

    @ESA_EO

    • FAQ

    • Site Map

    • Contacts

    • Terms and conditions