Mountain Gorillas under threat
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The fate of the solitary silverback Karateka is unknown.
(© WildlifeDirect)
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By WZ Online
The critically endangered Mountain Gorillas of DR Congo have been under threat and unprotected by Rangers for exactly 3 months due to ongoing fighting between the army and rebel forces. This is the longest period the gorillas have been unguarded in DR Congo since 1996, during the height of the country’s civil war.
Fighting intensified during the last days near Bunagana and Jomba (see map below) between the rebels and the army, amid rumors that the Rwanda/DR Congo border was to be closed. The heavy shelling and gunfire exchange pose a severe threat to the Mountain Gorillas.
"In the 34 years I have been a Ranger this is one of the most trying and exasperating moments. We have a duty to protect the Mountain Gorillas. They form part of our national heritage. But for 3 months now we have been totally unable to do our job due to the senseless fighting," said Norbert Mushenzi, Director of the Southern Sector of Virunga National Park for the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN).
10 Mountain Gorillas have been killed since January for a variety of reasons, and conservationists are worried for the fate of the remaining 72 habituated Mountain Gorillas. There are an estimated 120 non-habituated Mountain Gorillas in DRC.
Fighting between DR Congo’s army and forces loyal to renegade General Laurent Nkunda has been raging around the 250km2 Gorilla Sector, that borders Rwanda and Uganda, since 3rd September. Rebels took control of the sector at this time, looting patrol posts and forcing Rangers to flee.
Since then there have been sporadic sightings of some Mountain Gorillas, as a handful of Rangers have attempted to spontaneously venture back into the sector. However, as long as the fighting continues the Congolese Wildlife Authority and conservation NGOs are not hopeful of officially re-entering the sector and protecting the animals.
"From a health perspective, the biggest threats to free-ranging Mountain Gorillas include injuries from poacher's snares, flu-like respiratory disease which can be fatal in infants, and communicable infectious diseases such as measles and tuberculosis. Vets need to get into the field to monitor Mountain Gorillas, so this situation is very frustrating," said Dr Lucy Spelman of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project.
The Mountain Gorilla sector, also known as the Mikeno Sector, was attacked in January 2007, when two Silverbacks were killed. An adult female was executed in June and in July 5 were massacred in an incident relating to the charcoal trade causing an international outcry. In September a dead infant female was found in the hands of alleged traffickers who are now facing judicial proceedings in Goma.
Some 1,100 Wildlife Rangers protect the National Parks of Eastern DR Congo, a region affected by a 10-year civil war and political instability. These parks are home to mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, forest elephants and rhinos, among other species. The Rangers have remained active in protecting these parks, four of which have been classified as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
(Source: WildlifeDirect)
07.12.2007