Ugandans plant trees near national park to keep people out of gorillas’ habitat

In Bwindi, Uganda, local residents have begun planting trees near a national park in an effort to restrict human access to the natural habitat of the region's mountain gorillas. The initiative addresses a growing environmental and ecological challenge where the local gorilla population is increasing, yet the available forest area remains constrained.

The habitat preservation measure comes as tourists continue to trek into the forest to observe mountain gorillas, many of which have grown accustomed to human presence. The tree-planting effort aims to create a physical buffer zone to keep people out of the gorillas' living space, mitigating potential human-wildlife conflicts as animal numbers grow within the limited park boundaries.