Coltan,Gorillas and Mobile Phones
Rove near a silverback gorilla in the
Virungra Mountains,Rwanda,Africa
Giles Clark, International Conservation Manager,Australia Zoo
1: What is coltan.
Coltan short for columbite-tantalite:
a valuable black mineral combining niobite and tantalite; used in
mobile phones
2: What do they use coltan for?
Coltan is used in mobile phones,
laptops, pagers, game consoles, and other electrical devices
3: Where does coltan come from?
Coltan is mined in Congo and other parts of Africa
4: How do they get the coltan?
Coltan is hand mined by poor men and children
5: What happens to the land?
The miners clear out all the trees which is spelling doom for the wonderful gorillas and all the beautiful wildlife
6: What effect does coltan mining have on the gorillas?
Coltan mining is destroying the gorillas habitat which means that the gorillas have no where to live and no food and the men that run the coltan mining
also kill the gorillas to eat
7: Why do we need to help.?
We need to help these animals because every animal deserves to live its up to use
to help if we don't our future is unclear but most important the animals future if
one animal becomes extinct eventually they all will!
What can you do to help?
You can help by donating any unwanted mobile phones you have you can
1. Drop off your old mobile phones at Australia Zoo
2. Download a label to post it off yourself free of charge at
Australia Zoo Answer The Call
3. If you are in Melbourne you can call me on 0412088176 and arrange pick up or drop off
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