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Let’s help preserve earth’s animals

With worry about the futures of some of the world’s great animals – tigers, lions and elephants come to mind – fully justified, events in Rwanda during the past few years are more than nice to reflect upon. They also may be a model for conservation.

In Rwanda, the mountain gorilla is making a comeback because the government there has made the great ape more valuable alive than dead.

Just a decade ago, it appeared the mountain gorillas were well on their way to extinction. War and poaching were major threats.

But now, there is more money to be made in taking a single tourist to see a gorilla than in killing the animal and selling its body parts on the black market. Conservation pays – at the rate of $750 per person for a permit to view the gorillas in their native habitat. More money is to be made in guiding, feeding, lodging and otherwise entertaining tourists.

It works. The mountain gorilla population in Rwanda, Uganda and Congo has grown to about 900 animals.

Obviously (pun intended), the gorillas are not out of the woods yet. The program needs to be maintained and expanded. U.S. international aid officials, take note.

If the gorilla success continues, similar programs – managed well, not like those in some nations that are mere shams – should be established for other endangered creatures.

Again, the United States should help so that, just maybe, our great-grandchildren will be able to see tigers and other threatened animals without looking through the bars in zoos.

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