Mountain gorillas could die from thirst as they are more susceptible to climate change, warns a new report.
The only two populations left have been seen desperately trying to find water in more unusual places compared to their usual behaviours, say scientists.
A subspecies of the eastern gorilla, the rainforest dwelling species usually get most of their water requirements from the plants they consume.
But now increasing temperatures are making them seek out streams, rivers, puddles or even swamps.
Living at higher elevations make mountain gorillas more susceptible to faster temperature rises.
The two populations made up of about 1,000 individuals left can only be found in the Virunga volcanic mountains bordering Rwanda and the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.
Extensive conservation efforts have moved the mountain gorilla populations from ‘critically endangered’ to ‘endangered’, but the climate crisis could undo all that work and lead to the extinction of the species.
In the study, water drinking behaviour of mountain gorillas were observed between 2010 and 2020 and then this was correlated to local maximum temperature and rainfall.
Both populations showed an increase in water drinking at higher average temperatures.
Researchers fear that relying on free-standing water could lead to more parasites and exposure to human diseases.
By 2050, temperatures in the habitats of mountain gorillas are projected to increase by 1°C to 2.5°C.
Dr Edward Wright, of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, said: ‘Understanding how animals obtain water is increasingly important in the face of climate change, as warmer temperatures and more extreme weather conditions are predicted to influence water availability, which could have implications for how they use their limited habitat.
‘This is particularly important in endangered species which are vulnerable to extinction, such as mountain gorillas.’
‘Mountain gorillas drink water more often as the temperatures increases. In these conditions, drinking water likely helps to maintain a healthy body temperature range,’ explained Wright.
Dr Wright added: ‘Our results suggest that mountain gorillas may have to work harder to maintain water balance in the future.’
The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Conservation Science.
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