Congo’s Gorilla Rangers Allowed to Return to Virunga National Park (Video Clip)
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 11.24.08
Video of rangers returning: Gorilla.cd
I don’t know if you saw the post from a couple weeks ago about when rangers at Congo’s Virunga National Park, home to about 200 endangered mountain gorillas, were forced to flee when the park’s headquarters fell to rebel assault. The rest of the park had been under rebel control for a bit over a year.
Well, there’s some good news to report: Over the weekend the rangers were allowed back into the park’s headquarters at Rumangabo.
Park director Emmanuel de Merode praised the development,
It is a huge step that all sides have agreed that the protection of Virunga as a World Heritage Site and its mountain gorillas is of sufficient priority to transcend political differences. Rangers are neutral in this conflict, and it is right that they should be allowed to do their job.
You can follow the progress of the ranger’s return at the Virunga National Park blog. Apparently, absent humans baboons decided to take up residence at the ranger station.
photo: Gorilla.cd
via: Reuters
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To really see the plight of what these men face, and heroism they show watch the National Geographic Explorer: Gorilla Murders.
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/explorer/3817/Overview?#tab-Videos/05504_00
The struggle in DRC is too often overlooked around the world.
The rangers are heading out tomorrow (Nov 25th) to search for a family of gorillas they haven't been able to observe in 14 months. The blog is fantastic... take a look:
http://gorilla.cd/blog/
And consider donating so that the rangers can continue to protect the endangered mountain gorillas.