Congo Fighting Affects Gorillas
Nine Animals Killed, Newborn Found, Rangers Forced to Leave
Mountain gorillas endure new round of slaughter. Rangers find healthy infant before fighting resumes in DRC's Virunga Park, home of nearly half of world population.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has long been plagued by periods of insurrection. Protecting the country's remaining mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) is getting more difficult as fighting has once again erupted in Virunga National Park. More than 300 of the world’s estimated 700 remaining animals are in this area. While the losses are damaging to this species’ recovery, rangers have taken some satisfaction in finding an infant male gorilla with its mother in a small family group only a short time before rebel bands forced them to leave the park.
Threats to Gorillas
The mountain gorilla, made famous in the movie ‘Gorillas in the Mist’ about the life and work of Dian Fossey, is one several endangered primate species facing possible extinction within the next human generation.
Poaching for food or money (a gorilla infant can be sold for thousands of dollars) and deforestation for the illegal charcoal trade were cited as the major problems facing the mountain gorilla. Human diseases also threaten this species, as does accidental capture in snares set for antelope which can result in loss of limbs and bacterial infections.
Civil Unrest Affects Virunga National Park's Animals
The Virunga area has been listed as a World Heritage Site in Danger since 1994 after war in Rwanda resulted in movement of refugees into the park and surrounding area. Protecting the Virunga population of mountain gorillas has once again become difficult as civil unrest is on the rise. More than 150 rangers have been killed attempting to guard the park and its gorillas over the last 10 years. Wildlife Direct, founded by Richard Leakey, has begun paying the salaries of many of these rangers in hopes of keeping them on the job. A consortium of wildlife conservation groups is funding a 3 month crisis management program but as conflict increases that may not be enough. An invasion of the park by rebel troops has already forced the rangers who guard the gorillas to leave the area once.
2007 has been a particularly bad year with nine mountain gorillas found dead so far. The deaths in July were particularly devastating in that the animals were not killed for food or as part of poaching activities. They were shot and the bodies left untouched. It is believed that the killings were done by some of the illegal charcoal traders who believe they would be left to ply their trade if there were no gorillas to protect.
Newborn Male Raises Slight Hope
Finding the newborn has been the only good news thus far this year. And the fact that he and his mother are part of an intact troop is also encouraging as a strong social structure is important for this species.It can only be hoped that this baby and his troop survive the latest round of violence.
