World Gorilla Day 2019

Bonn, 24 September 2019 - Today is World Gorilla Day! It is the day dedicated to the Gorilla, one of our closest relatives on Earth. World Gorilla Day is an opportunity for everyone to celebrate these amazing animals and to take actions to protect them. This year is particularly important as it marks 10 years since the Year of the Gorilla, a global campaign which was organized by the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) in 2009.

Gorillas have been listed under the CMS Appendix I since 1979.  The species live in transboundary habitats and move across national borders. This is the reason why international cooperation is crucial for the conservation of gorillas.

To take coordinated measures to protect gorillas across their range, the Gorilla Range States prepared the Agreement on the Conservation of Gorillas and Their Habitats under the framework of CMS. The Gorilla Agreement, as it is known, is the only international legally binding instrument dedicated to the conservation of these animals.

To achieve the objectives of the Gorilla Agreement, raising awareness is crucial. This year, the CMS Secretariat has prepared a short video, in celebration of World Gorilla Day. The Gorilla Range States, CMS Parties and all other stakeholders are invited to use the clip to call for action and to raise awareness about the importance of protecting gorillas.

The video was developed by Virginia Petetti, during her internship at the Joint Information Management, Communication and Awareness-raising Unit of the CMS and AEWA Secretariats, with support from CMS Ambassador Ian Redmond as well as staff from the CMS Secretariat.

The CMS Secretariat would like to take this opportunity to thank all the participants who took part in the interviews conducted during the Third Meeting of the Parties to the Gorilla Agreement in June 2019, as well as to all those who shared their views during the Year of the Gorilla in 2009.

For more information about the Gorilla Agreement, please visit the Gorilla Agreement website.

Last updated on 12 October 2023