Bukamba and three other vets spend several days a week checking on the health of the gorillas in Bwindi. They start as early as 3 a.m., driving into the park and then trekking through the thick forests. 

The vets monitor the gorillas from a safe distance to avoid stressing out the animals. They watch closely for any signs of injury or illness. 

The Gorilla Doctors intervene only when they determine that an ape is at serious risk. Even then, the vets use extreme caution because gorillas can be difficult patients. 

Last year, a huge male gorilla was in danger of losing his left eye from an infection. He is known to get aggressive when he feels threatened, so the vets decided on an unusual treatment. Bukamba used a dart gun to shoot medication into the gorilla’s skin from nearly 50 feet away. The plan worked, and the gorilla eventually recovered. 

Working directly on a patient, such as during a snare rescue, requires a different strategy. To protect the gorillas and themselves, the vets use tranquilizer darts to knock out the apes before treating them. But the patients never leave the wild. The Gorilla Doctors like to say the forest is their hospital.

Bukamba and three other vets check on the gorillas in Bwindi several days a week. They start as early as 3 a.m. They drive into the park and then trek through the thick forests.

The vets monitor the gorillas from a safe distance. This is to avoid stressing out the animals. They watch closely for any signs of injury or illness.

The Gorilla Doctors intervene only when they believe an ape is at serious risk. Even then, the vets use extreme caution. That’s because gorillas can be difficult patients.

Last year, a huge gorilla was in danger of losing his left eye. He had an infection. He is known to get aggressive when he feels threatened. So the vets decided on an unusual treatment. Bukamba used a dart gun to shoot medication into the gorilla’s skin. He was nearly 50 feet away from the ape. The plan worked, and the gorilla recovered.

Working directly on a patient, like during a snare rescue, requires a different plan. The vets use tranquilizer darts to knock out the apes before treating them. That protects both the gorillas and the vets. But the patients never leave the wild. The Gorilla Doctors like to say the forest is their hospital.

The tireless work of the Gorilla Doctors is having a big impact. Mountain gorillas are the only great ape species whose numbers have grown in recent years. 

Last year, the Gorilla Doctors took part in the first gorilla census, or official count, in Bwindi since 2018. They hope the results, when released, will show that the gorilla population is still growing. In the meantime, Bukamba says he’s proud to care for these majestic apes.

“I find myself very lucky to be contributing to the work of restoring the population,” he says.

The Gorilla Doctors are having a big impact. Mountain gorillas are the only great ape species that has grown in numbers recently.

Last year, the Gorilla Doctors took part in a gorilla census, or official count, in Bwindi. It was the first census since 2018. They hope the results will show that the gorilla population is still growing. In the meantime, Bukamba says he’s proud to care for these majestic apes.

“I find myself very lucky to be contributing to the work of restoring the population,” he says.

1. What does the author mean when he writes that “the death of even one gorilla is a huge loss”?

2. Based on the article, describe three threats that mountain gorillas have faced.

3. How does the author support the claim that the work of the Gorilla Doctors is having a big impact?

1. What does the author mean when he writes that “the death of even one gorilla is a huge loss”?

2. Based on the article, describe three threats that mountain gorillas have faced.

3. How does the author support the claim that the work of the Gorilla Doctors is having a big impact?