Congo Rebels Capture Wildlife Habitat for Rare Gorillas
Welcome back!
Heavy gunfire and shelling was heard yesterday in the Gorilla sector of the Virunga National Park until 8pm in eastern Congo that serves as a wildlife habitat for endangered mountain gorillas, threatening one of their last known populations.
The Mountain Gorilla sector in eastern DR Congo was seized and occupied by forces loyal to renegade General Laurent Nkunda following attacks on patrol posts in Virunga National Park conservation September 3rd that forced Rangers to flee. Two key patrol posts — Jomba and Bikenge — were looted of weapons, ammunition and communication equipment. Bukima evacuation had been underway pending imminent attack.
These are the 3 strategic patrol posts for the monitoring and protection of Mountain Gorillas and the evacuation involved the upheaval of some 300 individuals, including rangers and their families.
General Laurent Nkunda’s forces later allowed a handful of rangers to return. But the most recent outburst of fighting forced the rangers to flee again, leaving no one to track the rare animals.
The army, who had later managed to regain Bukima, lost its position once more yesterday to the rebels who now control the entire Mountain Gorilla sector. It’s an extremely dire situation.
Norbert Mushenzi, Director of the Southern Sector of Virunga National Park for the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) said, “If anything happens to the Mountain Gorillas now there is nothing we can do. The sector is no longer under my control and we have been rendered powerless by these actions.”
Rations were distributed to the Rangers October 5th who were forced to flee their patrol posts over a month ago. They had been living in and around Rumangabo park station since then but were struggling. 7 Rangers arrived at Rumangabo, fleeing Jomba after the rebels wanted them to join the ranks to become fighters. These were the Rangers who were tracking the gorillas. The 18 gorillas that were being tracked are now once again unprotected, like the rest.
Sets of binoculars and telescopes were donated by Matto and Kirstine Barfuss. The equipment will be used for the protection of Mountain Gorillas and other animals, enabling them to observe gorillas distance, and identify them by their nose prints.
Merely 700 mountain gorillas exist in the world, more than half of which live in the Virunga National Park. The endangered gorillas are caught in the crossfire — 10 have been killed to date this year alone. A female gorilla was found killed execution-style on June 8th this year and another July 5th. The Mountain Gorilla sector was attacked in January 2007, when two Silverbacks were killed. The area continues to see heightened political instability.
Baby Gorilla Orphans Play in Congo
Mountain Gorilla orphans Kabila and Ndeze in Goma, DR Congo. Kabila was orphaned in when his mother was found executed in the back of the head, and the orphaned baby left clinging to her breast. Ndeze was orphaned in July when Safari was one of the 4 murdered gorillas of the Rugendo family.
More than 150 Rangers have been killed in the last 10 years protecting the parks. During an attack May 21st a wildlife officer was killed and 3 others critically injured. Thirteen were taken hostage and subsequently released. A Ranger was shot and killed north of Rutshuru, in another patrol post attack June 7th.
On April 19th Congo Ranger Jean-Marie Cizungu Kazingufu who was kidnapped by Mai Mai rebel leader Colonel ‘106’ in 2005 and held hostage for 2 years, was free after a daring 8 day escape into the forest, after being brutally beaten and tortured.
The Colonel — whose real name is unknown — decided to kill Cizungu, and had him violently beaten and tortured. His guards left him alone, presuming that he was too weak to move — Cizungu took his first opportunity in 2 years to make his escape. After negotiating with FDLR militia roadblocks he made his way to safety.
Cizungu’s brave escape came only days before another Ranger was brutally murdered in Virunga National Park, eastern DR Congo.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that a Ranger in Nyaruhangi was shot dead by armed men assumed to be from the FDLR during the night of April 17th, as he was seen as an obstacle to animal poaching.
On March 22nd a Congo Ranger in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Ituri province of eastern Congo was shot and killed by poachers. The death of Kongolo followed a confrontation between the poachers — also involved in illegal mining in this mineral rich province — and the Rangers.
In January 2005 2 Congo Rangers were kidnapped by NALU (National Army for the Liberation of Uganda) rebels and are presumed dead.
About 1,100 Wildlife Rangers protect the National Parks of Eastern Congo, which has been affected by a 10-year civil war. These parks are home to mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, forest elephants and rhinos. The Rangers rarely receive a salary but have remained active in protecting these parks, four of which have been classified as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
Congo Rangers work throughout the country to protect the National Parks and their wildlife from poachers, rebel groups, illegal miners and land invasions. Rangers worked throughout the civil war without receiving a salary. Rangers continue to struggle to fund patrols and many are directly supported by donations received through WildlifeDirect.
ICCN and conservation NGOs including WildlifeDirect, Frankfurt Zoological Society, ZSL, DFGF and IGCP are currently funding a $100,000 3 month crisis management program. The program aims to increase the number of rangers patrolling the sector and the frequency of these patrols, but it is now under threat following recent attacks.
Anti-poaching Patrol in the Congo
A brief video of the ICCN Advance Force on an anti-poaching exercise in the Virunga National Park, DRC.
Augustin Kambale, Congo Ranger
Augustin Kambale, Congo Ranger in Bukima, Mikeno Sector, Virunga National Park talking about what he does with the Mountain Gorillas.
Virunga National Park is Africa’s oldest national park established in 1925, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) was formed in 2000 as the primary anti-Rwanda rebel group during the later part of the Second Congo War. It operates in the eastern park of DR Congo and is composed of many of the militia groups that allegedly played a part in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The group is often referred to as the FDLR after its original French name Forces Democratiques de la Liberation du Rwanda.
About Wildlife Direct
WildlifeDirect is a joint program between Africa Conservation Fund, Inc, a US registered nonprofit organization, and Africa Conservation Fund (UK), a UK registered charity. Both are founded and chaired by African conservationist Dr Richard Leakey, who is credited with putting an end to the elephant slaughter in Kenya in the 1980s.
Throughout Africa conservationists are carrying out critical work to protect wildlife and habitats, under difficult, isolated and often dangerous conditions. WildlifeDirect was established to provide support to these conservationists. Utilizing the Internet via blogs provides an unprecedented means of bringing the remarkable efforts of these dedicated people to the attention of the world. This enables anyone, anywhere to play a direct and interactive role in the survival of some of the world’s most precious species.
WildlifeDirect takes no administration fee for funds donated so that the financial support can go directly where it was intended. Core costs are provided for separately through grants, primarily from the European Union. They are a small and efficient team running on very low overheads, based in Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Contact to help.
info@wildlifedirect.org
Contact to donate.
donations@wildlifedirect.org
Rangers continue to struggle to fund patrols and many are directly supported by donations received through WildlifeDirect. WildlifeDirect is funded by the European Union and private donors. 100% of donations go to the cause that is supported by the donor.
For additional information please contact:
Elie Mundima Nkuba, Commander of the Advance Force, Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) – eliemundima@yahoo.co.uk
Samantha Newport, Communications Director, WildifeDirect – snewport@wildlifedirect.org or +243 99 433 4645
Robert Muir, Frankfurt Zoological Society, Goma – robertmuir@fzs.org or +243 (0)99725 1960
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Great post Deborah…..very informative….
and dugg !!!!!
Thanks Kim, it’s a very critical situation.
Great round up of this tense situation Deborah. I thank you for talking about it – the situation is tense, frustrating and out of our control. The more people are aware of this, the better.
I’m more happy to help in whatever manner I can Samantha. All my best wishes for your situation.
Great post Deborah, very informative. Sadly those that embark in war / terror don’t even consider the impact it has upon wildlife. So many species are under threat of extinction, what a sad loss that would be.
Which is one of the reasons why this is so critical Colin. People are losing their lives in effort to protect these creatures from extinction. And thanks
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When will the politians of the world finally stop talking and start taking some serious action in order to make an end to this cruelty? It’s also time for a change in that region!
http://ginovandewalle.com/the-worlds-need-to-help-eastern-congo-now-this-cruelty-must-stop/
It’s such a tragedy, Gino. Local enforcements have been risking their lives, but it takes a lot more than their efforts to put a stop to it.
mah…..da ceva mai scurt nu avetsi?…k imi tre mai scurt