The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) this week launched the “My Gorilla Family” app, a pioneering initiative to protect Uganda’s mountain gorilla population by leveraging technology to create sustainable sources of non-trekking revenues to fund conservation activities in gorilla parks.
The subscription-based technology enables anyone to follow as many gorilla families as they wish, knowing that their subscription goes towards protecting these glorious creatures and building the local communities around them.
“You will be able to follow the gorillas’ daily excursions and family migrations through virtual trekking, celebrate their birthdays, new births, and receive updates from the rangers who protect and know them best,” said Tech Guru David Gonahasa, Co-Founder of The Naturalist, the implementer of the Home of the Gorillas project.
The application is available on both iOS and Android devices. This application was developed under the Home of a Gorilla (HOG) initiative.
The HOG is a partnership between UWA and RoundBob/The Naturalist, a Ugandan conservation enterprise working towards the protection of Mountain Gorillas.
For a monthly subscription of $2 paid through a mobile application “My Gorilla Family”, subscribers will receive an all-access pass to Bwindi-Mgahinga Conservation Area, home to more than 50% of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas.
“In addition to the subscription-based application the Gorillas initiative will launch the first conservation limited NFT collection linked to the ±200 habituated individual mountain gorillas in the wild,” Gonahasa, Co-Founder of The Naturalist revealed.
Speaking at the launch event, UWA Executive Director, Sam Mwandha, said the initiative was timely, especially in the era of digital communications, and that it was time to use digital means to mobilize resources for conservation while also providing entertainment.
“This initiative will also support us in educating the local communities and people from all over the world about the value of protecting these majestic animals, and keeping them for future generations,” Mwandha added.
On her part, the outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Uganda, Natalie Brown, said she is optimistic the app will engage users while raising awareness about the need to protect these magnificent creatures and their habitats while fostering a deeper understanding of the urgent need for conservation.
“Imagine exploring the world of mountain gorillas through the palm of your hand!” she pointed out.
