Being caught in snares is the most common injury. Poachers set snares for antelope, which they try to catch for food. If a gorilla gets caught in a snare, the device tightens around a wrist or ankle and can eventually cut off blood supply, causing the gorilla to lose a hand or foot. Unfortunately, Sleeman says, snares and the injuries they cause are on the increase as Rwandan refugees return to their homeland and take up poaching. Humans and gorillas coexist precariously in the crowded, war-torn nation.
People covet the land set aside in the national park.
But the park was established to preserve the mountain gorillas so they could attract tourists who would pump up the Rwandan economy. The downside of tourism is that the gorillas sometimes contract diseases from humans. Armed bands in the park discourage tourism, though Sleeman says around Christmas-time last year, the gorilla tours were booked to capacity. Dangers and problems notwithstanding, the young couple from Tennessee loved Africa. It's so beautiful, and the wildlife is incredible.