Do you have any small electronics such as cell phones or laptop computers you no longer use? Did you know you can bring those gadgets to the zoo? You can! Not only can you bring those unwanted devices to the zoo, it will help with gorilla conservation!

Your devices are a source of precious metals that can be recycled which is valuable in it's own right, in addition sale of these metals provides some revenue that goes to the Gorilla SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) program which is helping all species and sub species of gorilla.

Coltan is a mineral compound that is used to make your handheld electronics thinner. Coltan allows capacitors made from it to run cooler which allows devices to be thinner. Coltan is predominately found in the only remaining habitat for the Eastern Lowland or Grauer's gorilla. This area is also experiencing severe geo-political issues that began with the Rwandan genocide more than 30 years ago and has continued to this day. The area has refugee camps as a result and those people often go into the forest and protected Kahuzi-Biega National Park.

The mining occurs under slave-like conditions creating a human rights catastrophe. Roads are built to the mining areas, miners utilize the animals of the National Park for sustenance, the roads make the Park easier to access, people cut down the trees to create fires to cook their food which is bushmeat from the park that includes gorillas.

In just the past two decades, the Grauer's gorilla population has experienced a 75% decline resulting in their Critically Endangered designation indicating that if the situation continues as it has the past 20 years, the Grauer's gorillas are at high risk of extinction. Recycling your small electronics at the zoo will help the conservation of the Grauer's gorillas while bringing attention to all gorilla species and sub-species.