Rebels invade Congo gorilla sanctuary, park rangers evacuated
Rebels invade Congo gorilla sanctuary, park rangers evacuated
mongabay.com
September 4, 2007
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Guerillas have invaded Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, causing park rangers to flee, and leaving critically endangered mountain gorillas at great risk, reports Wildlife Direct, a group that promotes wildlife protection through blogs by rangers and conservationists.
Forces loyal to rebel general Laurent Nkunda attacked Jomba and Bikenge patrol posts in Virunga National Park, pillaging weapons and communications equipment four days after Rugira Sebuja Faustin, a park ranger, was killed during an attack on a patrol post north of Rushuru. Wildlife Direct says it has evacuated Bukima patrol post and fears the worst for the gorillas.
“If anything happens to the mountain gorillas now, there is nothing we can do,” said Norbert Mushenzi of the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN). “As of today the sector is no longer under my control and we have been rendered powerless by these actions.”
Juvenile gorilla in Bwindi (top) and a wildlife guide searching for gorillas in Bwindi (bottom). Photos by Rhett A. Butler |
“The area continues to see heightened political instability and rangers have been struggling to protect the mountain gorillas amid the threat of poachers and armed militia groups,” Wildlife Direct warned.
At least nine mountain gorillas have been killed in Virunga national park since January. There are around 700 mountain gorillas left in the world — 380 in Virunga and 320 in neighboring Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
Mountain gorillas are generally well-protected relative to the more common lowland gorillas in other parts of Africa. As such, the July killings of at least five mountain gorillas sparked international outrage and led the U.N. to send a team of investigators to the region which is recovering from a decade of war.
WildlifeDirect estimates that since the beginning of the conflict in eastern Congo nearly a decade ago, some 150 park rangers have been killed on active duty. Rugira Sebuja Faustin, the latest victim, was shot in the stomach around 11 pm on August 31st.