They hunt animals that are supposed to be protected by law, but government officials seem unaware of the growing crisis. Some conservationists are trying to find ways to reach the hunters. A village chief says no one has killed a gorilla or chimp in his village in the last year. That's because the hunters were told they could earn money by attracting tourists eager to see the animals in their natural habitat. The concept works only if the surviving apes could be conditioned to allow human beings to approach them.
Most apes associate people with danger.
If the hunters fail to realize revenue from the venture, they are likely to return to the bushmeat business. With advice from conservationists, a few logging companies are trying to keep poachers out of their forest preserve and stop their truck drivers from delivering bushmeat to the cities. What we can do in this area is have an effect on the trade. This is what we can do. A few people are making desperate attempts to stop the spiraling carnage of the apes, but many conservationists believe it is inevitable that gorillas and chimpanzees will become extinct outside protected parks and reserves.