World Gorilla Day 2024: Did Hanno the Navigator actually see the great ape on his voyage in the 5th century BCE?
- September 24, 2024
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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World Gorilla Day 2024: Did Hanno the Navigator actually see the great ape on his voyage in the 5th century BCE?
Sub: Env
Sec: Species in news
World Gorilla Day (September 24)
Purpose:
- Celebrate gorillas, our close relatives
- Promote their protection
- Supported by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals
Origin of the Name:
- Coined in 1847 by Thomas Staughton Savage (US missionary) and Jeffries Wyman (naturalist)
- Based on specimens found in Liberia
- Liberia was founded to resettle former slaves and free black people from the Americas
Connection to Ancient History: Hanno’s Voyage
The Periplus of Hanno:
- Ancient text describing a Carthaginian voyage along the West African coast
- Led by Admiral Hanno from Carthage
- Intended for colonisation, became an exploration
- The “Gorillai” Encounter:
- Mentioned in the final sections of the text
- Describes creatures that may have inspired the term “gorilla”
- Debate over whether these were humans, apes, or mythical beings
About Gorillas:
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Source: DTE