the problem for the gorillas for decades were they were hunted and sold to zoos or killed as trophies. local poachers set snares for other animals the gorillas got caught in. after the genocide ended a new government took over and they decided to get serious about protecting the mountain gorillas. essentially they gambled they could pull the country and a species back from the brink simultaneo simultaneously. they decided to put the gorillas at the center of their tourism effort. to regular rwandans it was a tough sell. thed of parks and tourism. >> the community was antagonistic. they didn't understand and you can't blame them. why should they protect the gorillas? what does it mean to snem. >> no one seems to ask that question anymore.