The Batwa people, often called the “forest keepers,” are one of Central Africa’s oldest indigenous communities. For centuries, they lived as hunter-gatherers in the dense forests that now form part of the protected areas housing mountain gorillas. Their deep understanding of the ecosystem, survival techniques, and traditional knowledge made them integral to the region’s biodiversity.
However, in the 1990s, the designation of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda as conservation areas led to the forceful removal of the Batwa from their ancestral lands. Conservation authorities justified the eviction by arguing that human presence threatened the critically endangered mountain gorillas. The Batwa were accused of poaching, habitat destruction, and contributing to declining gorilla populations.
The narrative that Indigenous communities threaten conservation efforts has been widely accepted in mainstream discourse. However, it raises critical questions: Did the Batwa endanger mountain gorillas, or were they made scapegoats in a larger conservation agenda? This article critically examines the claims surrounding the Batwa’s impact on gorilla conservation, the historical and scientific evidence available, and whether their displacement truly benefited wildlife protection efforts.
Who Are the Batwa?
The Batwa are an indigenous forest-dwelling people native to the Great Lakes region of Central Africa, particularly in Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. They are one of Africa’s oldest surviving hunter-gatherer communities, with a history stretching back thousands of years. Before their displacement, the Batwa lived in the dense montane forests that today form part of conservation areas such as Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park.
Unlike the agricultural Bantu-speaking communities that later migrated into the region, the Batwa relied on a subsistence lifestyle based on hunting, foraging, and small-scale honey collection. Their survival skills were honed through generations of knowledge passed down orally. They tracked animals using advanced ecological understanding, harvested medicinal plants and built temporary shelters deep in the forest.
Crucially, the Batwa coexisted with the wildlife around them, including mountain gorillas. Their hunting practices targeted small game such as duikers, bush pigs, and primates like colobus monkeys. Still, historical records and oral traditions suggest that gorillas were not a primary food source. In many Batwa communities, gorillas were viewed with a sense of reverence, often associated with spiritual beliefs that discouraged harm toward them.
Despite their deep-rooted presence in the forests, the Batwa were systematically marginalised when colonial and post-colonial governments introduced conservation policies that favoured wildlife protection over Indigenous rights. Their forced removal in the late 20th century led to the near-total loss of their traditional way of life, pushing many into extreme poverty on the fringes of modern society.
The displacement of the Batwa raises a significant ethical question: should indigenous communities be excluded from conservation efforts when they have historically maintained ecological balance? Understanding their relationship with the environment is essential to assessing the claims that they were a threat to mountain gorillas.
Conservation and the Displacement of the Batwa
In Uganda, the 1991 gazette of Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga National Park as protected gorilla habitats marked a turning point for the Batwa. Conservation authorities argued that human activities, including hunting and foraging, posed a risk to mountain gorillas and their fragile ecosystem. As a result, the Batwa were expelled without compensation or alternative means of survival. Similar evictions took place in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of efforts to create gorilla tourism destinations.
The displacement left the Batwa landless and economically vulnerable. Unlike agricultural communities that could transition to farming, the Batwa had no experience with settled agriculture or land ownership. They were forced to settle on the periphery of national parks, where they faced extreme poverty, social discrimination, and limited access to education or healthcare.
Ironically, while the Batwa were removed in the name of conservation, commercial activities such as high-impact tourism, logging, and road construction were permitted in and around the parks. Gorilla trekking, a key revenue generator for conservation authorities, resulted in infrastructure development within the same forests where the Batwa were once considered a threat. This contradiction raises the question: was the Batwa’s displacement based on ecological concerns, or was it a means to secure economic benefits from tourism?
The exclusion of indigenous communities from conservation decisions remains a contentious issue. While conservation efforts have contributed to the recovery of mountain gorilla populations, the methods used have sparked debate over ethical conservation practices and the rights of displaced communities. Understanding the Batwa’s real impact on gorilla populations is key to evaluating whether their removal was justified.
Were the Batwa a Threat to Mountain Gorillas?
The assertion that the Batwa directly threatened mountain gorillas was a central justification for their removal from forested conservation areas. However, a closer examination of historical records, ecological data, and indigenous knowledge challenges the validity of this claim.
Allegations Against the Batwa
Conservation policies of the late 20th century were built on the assumption that all human activity within protected areas disrupted wildlife populations. Authorities argued that the Batwa engaged in poaching, habitat destruction, and unsustainable resource extraction, all of which could endanger mountain gorillas. Some reports suggested that Batwa hunters occasionally set snares for small game, which could inadvertently harm gorillas. Conservationists also raised concerns that human presence in gorilla habitats increased the risk of disease transmission, further endangering the already fragile population.
The Counterargument
Despite these allegations, little scientific evidence suggests that the Batwa were systematically responsible for harming mountain gorillas. Historical accounts and ethnographic studies indicate that the Batwa rarely targeted gorillas for food or trade. Unlike commercial poachers, who hunted gorillas for bushmeat or the illegal wildlife trade, the Batwa had no documented tradition of killing gorillas for profit.
Additionally, researchers studying gorilla populations in the region have found no significant evidence linking Batwa presence to population declines. By contrast, documented threats to gorillas have included habitat encroachment by agricultural expansion, logging, and large-scale poaching orchestrated by outsiders. The most significant recorded declines in gorilla populations have been attributed to armed militias and commercial hunting operations, not Indigenous communities practising subsistence hunting.
Gorillas as Sacred Creatures
Traditional Batwa cosmology further challenges the notion that they threaten gorillas. Among many Batwa groups, gorillas were regarded with spiritual reverence. Oral histories describe gorillas as forest guardians; in some cases, harming them was believed to bring misfortune. This cultural respect for gorillas is similar to conservation principles, as it naturally discourages the exploitation of the species.
Some conservationists have acknowledged that traditional ecological knowledge, including the Batwa’s intimate understanding of forest dynamics, could have contributed to gorilla conservation rather than threatening it. The forced removal of the Batwa overlooked their potential role as allies in protecting wildlife, reinforcing the argument that their displacement was more about securing control over conservation tourism than addressing an actual ecological threat.
Should the conservation efforts have integrated the Batwa as stewards of the forest rather than excluding them entirely?
The Real Threats to Mountain Gorillas
Commercial Poaching and Armed Conflict
One of the most devastating threats to mountain gorillas has been large-scale poaching, often linked to organised criminal networks. Unlike subsistence hunting by indigenous communities, commercial poaching is fueled by demand for bushmeat, traditional medicine, and, in some cases, the illegal pet trade. Gorilla infants, in particular, have been targeted for trafficking, with adult gorillas often killed in the process.
The political instability of the Great Lakes region has further exacerbated poaching. During periods of conflict, such as the civil wars in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Rwandan Genocide, armed militias took refuge in forested areas, using gorilla habitats as operational bases. These groups hunted indiscriminately, not only for food but also as a means of financing their activities. Conservationists documented instances where rebel groups slaughtered entire gorilla families, wiping out years of conservation efforts in a single act.
Habitat Destruction and Agricultural Encroachment
The expansion of human settlements, agriculture, and logging has led to significant habitat loss in gorilla range areas. As human populations grow, forests are cleared for farmland, grazing, and timber extraction. This has resulted in fragmented gorilla habitats, reducing available food sources and increasing the risk of inbreeding due to isolated populations.
Unlike subsistence activities practised by the Batwa, large-scale deforestation has had long-term consequences for gorilla conservation. The loss of forest cover disrupts the gorilla’s ecosystem and forces them into closer contact with human communities, heightening the risk of human-wildlife conflict. In some cases, gorillas have been killed in retaliation for raiding crops or perceived threats to local livelihoods.
Disease Transmission from Human Contact
One of the most underestimated threats to mountain gorillas is human disease transmission. Due to their genetic similarity to humans, gorillas are highly susceptible to respiratory infections, tuberculosis, and other zoonotic diseases. Research has shown that even minor illnesses like the common cold can severely affect gorilla populations.
The primary risk is increasing human interaction through gorilla trekking tourism and conservation activities. While strict protocols exist, such as maintaining a safe distance and limiting visitor numbers, disease outbreaks have still been documented. Given the Batwa’s historically limited interaction with outside populations, the claim that they posed a disease risk to gorillas is questionable. In contrast, high-volume tourism and the presence of researchers and park rangers introduce far more significant risks of pathogen transmission.