'Baby boom' for gorilla family in Uganda

The authorities in Uganda say the country is experiencing a baby boom among gorillas after five newborns were discovered in the last six weeks.

It comes as they are testing out visits to primate locations, which were stopped due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Visits to gorilla nests account for more than 60% of revenue Ugandan earns from its protected areas.

Seven babies have been born since January compared to just three in 2019. It’s not clear why there has been an uptick.

In March, most of Uganda’s tourism sector was shut down due to Covid-19 restriction measures.

But the industry is now slowly opening up. Small groups of visitors are allowed into protected areas as new safety procedures like wearing face masks and social distancing are tried out.

Poaching has been a major worry for authorities especially during the lockdown. In July, a man was sentenced to 11 years in prison over the killing of Rafiki, a popular silverback gorilla.