Crisis threatens park, gorillas and people of eastern Congo

Jun 19, 2009

The ongoing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has recently intensified and more than half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park are still without security.
More than 50 Congolese park rangers fled to safety from Virunga National Park. There are also reports that the rebels have advanced to just outside of Goma – the regional capital – threatening the stability of the entire country.
While previous fighting had taken place inside some sectors of Virunga National Park, this is the first time that rebel control of the park has expanded to include all of the habitat where mountain gorillas are found.
More than half of the world’s 700 remaining mountain gorillas live inside the park, along with hundreds of bird and mammal species. Because rangers are unable to conduct patrols, the status of the park’s gorillas is unknown. Read more >>

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Crisis threatens park, gorillas and people of eastern Congo