Save The Mountain Gorilla

The Mountain Gorilla is critically endangered and have been threatened with extinction due to forest degradation, uncontrolled hunting and civil war in Africa. Fortunately, organisations like the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and the International Gorilla Conservation Programme are helping to secure the future of these magnificent primates through creating awareness, scientific research, protection of gorillas and community engagement. These conservation efforts have been positive and today, the World Wildlife Fund believe that there are now over 1000 gorillas in the wild.

Conservation initiatives can indeed play an important role in helping endangered animals. Everyone can contribute! Social enterprises like Elephant Parade have helped to create awareness for the plight of the Asian Elephant through art. They collaborate with artists from around the world to create unique designs on elephant statues. A percentage of their profits from the sale of these statues go to the conservation of the Asian Elephant.

This creative printable art encourages your little ones to think about the different ways art and creativity can help a worth cause. Let's get started!

Printable & Activity Objectives

In this activity, your child will learn about the threats faced by the Mountain Gorilla and participate in a design challenge as an artist to create awareness to help these magnificent primates. They will design a Mountain Gorilla inspired vinyl toy/statue on the printables.

It will help your child or student:

• Learn about how human activity can affect and threaten the lives of wild animals and in this case, the Mountain Gorilla.
• Think more critically and creatively about how to create more awareness for such issues and learn to advocate for worthy causes.
• Develop their artistic and design skills through the creation of unique designs on the printable vinyl toy/statue.

Classroom Resources

Simple steps to start:

• Research and find out more about the Mountain Gorilla, the issues that they're currently facing and the conservation efforts in place to help them.

Here's an introduction video with top facts about Mountain Gorilla.

Here's a video about the various threats faced by the Mountain Gorilla caused by human activity told through a story about an American father and and his teenage daughter who are trying to help create more awareness about these issues.

Here's a very informative video about how different communities got together to help save the Mountain Gorillas living in the Virunga National Park.

• Take inspiration from the Elephant Parade initiative. Here's a video about the social enterprise's amazing and artistic journey to create more awareness about Asian Elephant conservation.

• Get started on your Mountain Gorilla vinyl toy designs!

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What's in the Printable Worksheet Pack

This creative printable design challenge pack consists of 3 printable worksheets for your kids to design their very first Mountain Gorilla inspired vinyl toy/statue. There's a design sheet for the front, back and packaging.

Get your child also to think about which of the different Mountain Gorilla preservation and conservation initiatives do they wish to create more awareness about.

Click on the download link below to get started. Please note that this printable pack is only for paid members.