tagged w/ Gorillas in Peril
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Conservationist Eugene Rutagarama describes to CNN's David McKenzie his first experience with gorillas.Conservationist Eugene Rutagarama describes to CNN's David McKenzie his first... more
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United Nations peacekeepers in Congo have used helicopters to airlift endangered baby gorillas to a sanctuary after they were rescued in a conflict zone where they faced being captured or eaten.
The animals ferried to safety are eastern lowland gorillas, a species that only lives in Democratic Republic of Congo and is classified as "endangered" on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) red list.
The four gorillas, which had been rescued from traffickers in various parts of Congo's rebel-infested east, were flown by helicopter on Tuesday (April 27) from Goma to the Kasugho Sanctuary in North Kivu province.
"If you use vehicles, there is a great risk of losing the animals because they are traumatised. We used aircraft because we really wanted to reduce their stress level," Benoit Kisuki, Conservation International's country director, told Reuters.
Kisuki said the air transfer was part of a wider project to combat the illegal trade in baby gorillas, which has intensified in recent years with the proliferation of armed groups and constant insecurity in eastern Congo.
"The objective is to reintroduce them in their natural environment," he added.
The gorillas are often caught, trafficked and sold for thousands of dollars on the world market as exotic pets. Others are killed and sold locally as "bush meat".
The research centre in Kasugho has developed a two-hectare (4.9 acre) area where scientists can monitor young gorillas as they prepare to be released into the wild.
Six other individuals, currently under protection in Rwanda, are due to be flown in on June 10 to "socialise" with the first group and "form a family of 10", Kisuki said.
The gorillas could be a valuable asset for the future economic development of east Congo, after the animals became a major tourist attraction in Uganda and Rwanda, raising several million dollars in revenues.
There is no accurate data for eastern lowland gorilla populations. But Congo's gorillas have weathered years of warfare in the east and more than 150 rangers have been killed trying to protect the area's five national parks from poachers.
A U.N.-backed report last month said gorillas may become near-extinct in Africa's Greater Congo Basin by the mid-2020s unless action is taken to stop poaching and protect their habitat.United Nations peacekeepers in Congo have used helicopters to airlift endangered baby... more
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Wildlife Extra News - April 2010.
Buhanga, the 23 year old solitary Silverback of Congo's Gorilla Sector, has died. He was found near the Gatovu patrol post, his favourite haunt, lying face down in a stream struggling to breath. Innocent (head ranger), Dr Magda and the Rangers were with him when he took his last breaths some 30 minutes later.
Dr Jan will perform the necropsy to determine the cause of death, which is believed to have been natural causes. He will then be buried in the Gorilla Cemetery at Rumangabo.
Buhanga was sick at the beginning of March, but he appeared to make a recovery. Innocent and Magda commented though on how thin he seemed. It will be interesting to know the results of the necropsy.
Buhanga had been a solitary for many years, and could often be spotted near Gatovu chomping on bamboo. He was videoed in August 2008 by Innocent. This was an incredibly special moment, and one that has stuck in the hearts of all Rangers in the Gorilla Sector, because it was the first time in a year that a gorilla had been seen. It was just a couple of months before the war reached a climax, and really represented a moment of hope that the gorillas of Mikeno would be okay, despite all the fighting so close to their habitat.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/silverback-congo.htmlWildlife Extra News - April 2010.
Buhanga, the 23 year old solitary Silverback of... more
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An undercover investigation has found that up to two gorillas are killed and sold as bushmeat each week in Kouilou, a region of the Republic of Congo.
The apes' body parts are then taken downriver and passed on to traders who sell them in big-city markets.
Conducted by the conservation group Endangered Species International, the investigation helps expose the extent of gorilla poaching in the country.
It fears hundreds more gorillas may be taken each year outside the region.
The group began its investigation by going undercover, talking to sellers and traders at food markets in Pointe Noire, the second largest city in the Republic of Congo.
Over the course of a year, investigators visited the markets twice a month, recording the amount of bushmeat for sale.
"Gorilla meat is sold pre-cut and smoked for about $6 per 'hand-sized' piece. Actual gorilla hands are also available," says Mr Pierre Fidenci, president of Endangered Species International (ESI).An undercover investigation has found that up to two gorillas are killed and sold as... more
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KINIGI, Rwanda (AFP) — Rwanda "baptised" 18 rare baby mountain gorillas at what has become an annual event to highlight the plight of the endangered species.
The baby gorillas, however, were not physically present at the colourful ceremony at the edge of a national park where the primates live.
Eighteen masked people represented the gorillas at the event, which included songs and dances, attended by senior government officials including Prime Minister Bernard Makuza.
Tourism Minister Monique Nsanzabaganwa said government was expanding the the size of the volcanic park by 10 percent by the end of the year in a bid to promote the conservation of the gorillas.
"This campaign is to encourage gorilla conservation initiatives and to promote the local tourism industry," she said.
"Tourism remains one of Rwanda's key sectors," she added.
The ceremony was the fifth of its kind in Rwanda in as many years. A total of 103 gorillas have been baptised and officially received a name so far, according to AFP count.
The world's last mountain gorillas are concentrated in the mountains straddling the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda.
They number around 700 in all, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).KINIGI, Rwanda (AFP) — Rwanda "baptised" 18 rare baby mountain... more
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Gearing up 4 Gorillas: Nokia Mobile Phones Needed!
This group is part of the Gorilla Protection {Wildlife Direct}
http://gorilla.wildlifedirect.org/
This is a post made by Linda in the G4G Blog { http://www.g4g.co.uk/wp/?p=174 }
Hi everyone,
G4G vice chair Kim & myself are off out to Rwanda and DR Congo on the 25th September. We hope to meet the two G4G trucks as they arrive at Rumangabo - which would be very exciting! However, we have quite a bit of excess baggage free at the moment and a call has come in, asking for Nokia mobile phones for the rangers. They get the SIM cards in DR Congo, so no worries about those. May we ask that if you have or know of any Nokia phones lying around unused and/or unwanted, would you please consider sending them on to us & we can take them out - you’ll make a ranger very happy! Nokia is by far the most popular phone in DR Congo.
Kim & myself leave on the 25th September so not long to go - but please think about any Nokias lying in that drawer!
If you don’t mind popping it / them in the post, we’ll def take them out with us.
Post to:
L. Nunn, 87 Chapel Farm Cottage, Gussage St Andrew, Blandford, Dorset, , DT11 8DL
Many thanks in anticipation - we’ll let you know how many we take out…….
Linda
Chair, G4G
Gearing up 4 Gorillas: Nokia Mobile Phones Needed!
This group is part of the... more
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Gorilla Silverback Filmed at Gatovu!
"This is Innocent. Yesterday I got a call from our rangers at the Gatovu Patrol Post. They told me that they had seen a solitary gorilla in the forest nearby. I immediately went over there to identify which individual it was.
We found the gorilla at about 10 minutes from the patrol post. I was amazed to see that it was Buhanga, the solitary silverback that had once belonged to the group now led by Kabirizi.
It was fantastic to once again see a gorilla in the wild- it was the first time since last year when the rebels took over the Mikeno Sector of the park. As you can see from the video, Buhanga has grown a lot bigger since last time I saw him!"
*Innocent & Diddy are Congolese rangers that protect the Mountain Gorillas. They monitor and carry out protection activities on the ground. Congolese rangers risk their lives to save mountain gorillas of the Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
To see how you can help, please visit: http://gorilla.wildlifedirect.org/2008/08/21/gorilla-silverback-filmed-at-gatovu/
GorillaProtection.org
Gorilla Silverback Filmed at Gatovu!
"This is Innocent. Yesterday I got a call... more
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PHOTO: An orphaned gorilla curls up with her caregiver.
After the July 2007 killings of endangered mountain gorillas, possibly by people involved in the illegal charcoal trade, a mobile antipoaching force stayed close to gorillas in Virunga National Park. But the Democratic Republic of the Congo's parks authority, ICCN, must keep the animals safe when these guards are needed elsewhere.
Many groups are working to protect the gorillas and support the people fighting for their survival.
WildlifeDirect
Nairobi-based WildlifeDirect, founded by anthropologist Richard Leakey, helps outfit wildlife rangers in Virunga National Park and supplement their government salaries. The group's website hosts blogs where rangers and others post news and pictures from the field. Online donors can specify where their funds go—for patrol rations, medical kits, or support for the families of rangers killed on duty.
Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International
Founded by the gorilla researcher murdered in 1985, this organization helps care for young gorillas like the one whose mother was killed in July.
Frankfurt Zoological Society
FZS has trained and equipped hundreds of rangers; it also provides aircraft to help the ICCN monitor gorillas and direct antipoaching forces from the air.
International Gorilla Conservation Program
This coalition works with the governments of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda.
Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project
Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project field vets make routine health visits to habituated gorilla groups in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in partnership with park rangers, guides, patrols, monitoring agents, and scientists from various organizations.
Wildlife Conservation Society
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is one of the only organizations in the world working to protect all four gorilla subspecies—each of which is threatened by extinction. For nearly half a century the WCS has initiated and supported gorilla research and conservation projects throughout Africa.
Zoological Society of London
In addition to helping supplement rangers' salaries, the ZSL works with D.R. Congo's park authority to help manage Virunga National Park as a whole.
PHOTO: An orphaned gorilla curls up with her caregiver.
After the July 2007... more
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