Victorians are being asked to ‘dial up’ their support for the conservation of wild gorillas, by donating 1000 mobile phones this APE-ril.
The drive by Zoos Victoria aims to recycle 1000 phones containing the metallic mineral ‘çoltan’, reducing mining in habitat shared by gorillas, while also raising funds for life-saving medical care of fragile, wild gorilla populations in Africa.
Zoos Victoria conservationist and reproductive biologist Dr Marissa Parrott said recycling 1000 phones will provide enormous support for Gorilla Doctors, the only organisation in the world dedicated to saving Endangered Mountain gorillas and Critically Endangered Eastern lowland gorillas through veterinary medicine and science.
“By simply donating your old mobile phones, you can make such a difference to the future of gorilla species,” Dr Parrott said.
Gorilla Doctors Field Veterinarian Dr Noheli Jean Bosco said Gorilla Doctors conservation work has contributed to the restoration of 50 per cent of the current Mountain gorilla’s wild population.
“In the 1980s, these Gorillas were at the brink of extinction. So, together with others, we have started to restore the number of wild gorillas,” he said.
“But we are not able to succeed alone. This is achieved through the work everyone is doing together with us all around the world. Thank you to the people of Australia who have accepted this call and are recycling their phones through this initiative.”
Anyone can collect and donate 10 mobile phones at a time by booking a free courier through Zoos Victoria’s website, and will go into a draw to win an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience for four people at Werribee Open Range Zoo.
The experience includes a tour of the Zoo’s plantations to learn about what gorillas eat and how they are cared for by keepers, as well as an accommodation voucher for an overnight stay at the Holiday Inn in Werribee.
There are four sub-species of gorillas that are native to Africa. All are impacted by illegal poaching and habitat destruction from logging and mining, with conservation work of critical importance. Melbourne Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo are home to seven Western lowland Gorillas, who form part of an international and regional breeding program to maintain a genetically diverse troop that can support conservation of gorilla populations.
For more information about Zoos Victoria’s They’re Calling On You initiative, visit www.zoo.org.au/phone
Zoos Victoria members and Werribee Open Range Zoo visitors are reminded that all tickets must be pre-booked online at zoo.org.au and all ticket holders 18 years and over are required to provide proof of full vaccination and follow current Victorian Government directions at www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au.
