EAST AFRICA173
GORILLAS
The forested mountains of Rwanda and Uganda are the last remaining refuge
for gorillas, the world’s rarest ape. Gorillas have long been targeted by poachers,
hunters, and collectors. The Albert National Park was established in 1925 for their
protection, but civil war in the 1960s disrupted the gorilla population. Much of
their forest habitat was also cleared for agriculture, further reducing numbers.
Since the 1980s, national parks
have been carefully guarded, and
limited educational and tourist
programs were put in place. Gorilla
numbers in Rwanda have risen,
but recent conflict once again
threatens their survival.REFUGEE CAMP
Many of the boundaries in central East Africa
date back to colonial times and cut across ethnic
borders. In Rwanda, the majority Hutus rebelled
against the ruling Tutsis with terrible consequences.
The country descended into violent chaos, and
many people were forced to flee to refugee camps
in Tanzania. There has also been conflict between
Hutus and Tutsis in neighboring Burundi.
The Masai keep their cattle
for milk. They also
drink blood drawn
from the veins
of living
cows.WILDLIFE
The Great Plains of East Africa
contain some of the world’s most
spectacular wildlife. In Kenya,
10 percent of all the land has been
absorbed into more than 40 national
parks. Tourists go on wildlife safaris to
Kenya (below) to see herds of lions,
antelopes, leopards, and elephants.
Poaching animals, especially elephants
for ivory, remains a major problem,
and national parks are closely guarded
by game wardens.THE GREAT RIFT VALLEY
Stretching from Syria in Asia to
Mozambique, the Rift Valley is a
huge gash in Earth’s surface,
formed where Africa and the
Arabian peninsula are gradually
moving apart. The Great Rift
Valley, which began to form some
30 million years ago, is 4,000 miles
(6,400 km) long, and up to 40 miles
(64 km) wide. In Kenya and
Tanzania, the valley is marked by
deep fjordlike lakes. Elsewhere,
volcanic peaks have erupted and
wide plateaus, such as the Athi Plains
in Kenya, have formed where lava
has seeped through Earth’s surface.MASAI
The Masai people herd cattle
in the grasslands of Kenya and
Tanzania. The young men
paint their bodies with
ocher and have
elaborate plaited
hairstyles. Masai
warriors wear
beaded jewelry. They
are famed for their
toughness and
endurance. Each
man may take several
wives, and is responsible
for his own herd of cattle,
which are driven to pasture
far from the village during the
dry season. Mothers pass on cattle
to their sons. The staple diet of the Masai
is cow’s milk, supplemented by corn.
Diseases such as cholera
thrive in crowded refugee
camps like the one
pictured here.
A herd of elephants
wander the savannah
in Kenya in search of
water. A number
of lions watch the
elephants, waiting to
kill any weak animal.Africa
Elephants
Grassland wildlife
Lions, tigers,
and other big catsFind out more