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TAIPING FOUR GORILLA ADOPTS INFANT GORILLA AS HER OWN
Abbey, one of the ‘Taiping Four’ gorillas, has found new meaning to life as she became surrogate mother to a newly arrived orphan gorilla at the Limbe Wildlife Centre in Cameroon.
The following update is provided by The Pan-African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA) and IFAW’s partner the Limbe Wildlife Centre in Cameroon.
Abbey recently became the surrogate mother to Bolo, a one-year old orphan, at the Limbe Wildlife Center in Cameroon.
Bolo arrived after being confiscated from poachers in December, and it was feared she might be too young to ever integrate safely into Limbe’s 14-member gorilla social group.
But another adult female, Brighter, showed interest and seemed willing to take on the role of caring for Bolo.
Abbey had other ideas, however.
“Very surprisingly, Abbey, who is not a dominant female, went up to Brighter and gently took Bolo off her and placed her on her chest,” said Felix Lankester, manager of the Limbe Wildlife Center. “What was surprising was that Brighter didn’t try to take Bolo back. It was obvious to everyone that Abbey was much more protective than Brighter ever was, and that was the kind of protection we were looking for.”
The Limbe staff had spent months patiently developing the relationship between Brighter and Bolo, and even separated the pair temporarily from the other gorillas in order to foster the bonds of care. But Abbey’s willingness to take responsibility for Bolo proved irresistible.
Snatched from their mothers when they were just babies, the ‘Taiping Four’ gorillas were smuggled from the forests of the Cameroon and taken to a zoo in neighboring Nigeria. From there they became pawns in the murky world of the illegal trade in endangered species. As wild-caught animals they could not be traded legally, so forged documentation described them as “captive bred” allowing them to be sold to a zoo in Malaysia.
But the sudden arrival of four young gorillas on the international zoo scene was bound to raise suspicion, and it didn’t take long for animal welfare investigators to uncover and make public the illegality of their capture and export.
CITES regulations clearly state that, wherever possible, confiscated animals are to be returned to their native land, and so they did, thanks to IFAW’s supporters, the Taiping Four Gorillas arrived to their new home in Limbe, Cameroon on November 30, 2007. Abbey, one of the ‘Taiping Four’ gorillas, has found new meaning to life as she became surrogate mother to a newly arrived orphan gori... more -
Soldiers leave Congo gorilla park, but rebels remain - CNN.com
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) -- More than 1,000 soldiers have withdrawn from a national park that has been on the front lines of fighting in eastern Congo, but rebels still occupy a sector that is home to some of the world's last remaining mountain gorillas, officials said Wednesday.
The decision to move out the government troops and their families -- about 6,000 people in all -- came after negotiations between Virunga National Park Director Emmanuel de Merode and Gen. Vainqueur Mayala, the army's commanding officer, de Merode said in a statement.
The move aims to "reduce human presence in the area and preserve the flora and fauna of Africa's oldest national park," de Merode said.
The reserve -- home to endangered gorillas and hippos and also containing active volcanoes -- is located in a lawless swath of Congo adjacent to neighboring Rwanda and Uganda that the government has struggled to control for years. Established in 1925 as Africa's first national park, it was classified as a U.N. World Heritage Site in 1979.
Congolese and Rwandan rebels and militia have hidden in the park's dense forests for more than a decade and used parts of it as bases to launch attacks. Last week, the army and rebels led by Laurent Nkunda exchanged machine-gun and mortar fire outside the reserve in one of the fiercest clashes in the region this year.
"De-militarizing Virunga National Park remains our greatest and most difficult challenge. The Congolese National Army has taken the first step, which represents a major breakthrough at a time when the threats to the park have never been greater," de Merode said.
Congolese Col. David Kitenge said the army's occupation had been "strategic." The statement said the army had 10,000 soldiers in North Kivu province, about 10 percent of them in the park.
"We had to have a strong presence ... to safeguard the main road north of Goma," the regional capital, and prevent attacks by Rwandan and Congolese rebels, Kitenge said. "Today we wish to support the Congolese Wildlife Authority in their efforts."
Congo held its first democratic elections in more than four decades in 2006, and is still coping with the effects of a 1998-2002 war and Rwanda's 1994 genocide, which saw millions of hungry refugees -- including Rwandan militias who remain today -- spill across the border. Despite its vast mineral wealth, most people remain deeply poor and desperate.
Nkunda's rebels have been accused by wildlife officials of attacking gorillas in the past, but since last year they have taken tourists and some journalists on unauthorized visits to the rare animals.
Only about 700 mountain gorillas remain in the world, an estimated 380 of them in a range of volcanoes straddling Congo's borders with Uganda and Rwanda. Only 200 are believed to live on the Congo side of the border, about 72 of which have been used to contact with tourists or rangers. Ten of them were killed last year.
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/09/03/congo.vi... DAKAR, Senegal (AP) -- More than 1,000 soldiers have withdrawn from a national park that has been on the front lines of fighting in ea... more -
Gorilla Protection
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-si...
GorillaProtection.org Gorilla Silverback Filmed at Gatovu! ... more -
Protect Gorillas From Deforestation!
http://www.care2.com/c2c/share/detail/844698
PLEASE sign, forward & X-POST this petition.
Protect Gorillas From Deforestation - The Petition Site:
Target: Congo's Ministry of Environment
Sponsored by: Care2.com
Great news for one of the world's most endangered animals: researchers have discovered some 125,000 western lowland gorillas that were previously uncounted in the Congo Basin. Until now, scientists believed there were only about 50,000 of these endangered gorillas left.
But this exciting new population estimate does not mean gorilla numbers in the wild are now safe. The western lowland gorilla continues to come under threat as timber companies move into the Congo Basin, home to more than a quarter of the world's tropical forest. Without careful management of the forest resources, western lowland gorillas and other gorilla subspecies will remain severely endangered.
Now more than ever authorities need to stem rampant deforestation, to preserve the habitats of the great apes and to support long-term sustainability of the region's natural resources.
Please urge Congo's Ministry of Environment to deny all deals that were signed illegally under the country's moratorium on new logging contracts.
ACTUAL PETITION:
"We are happy about recent news that researchers have discovered some 125,000 western lowland gorillas that were previously uncounted in the Congo basin. Until now, scientists believed there were only about 50,000 of these endangered gorillas left.
But this exciting new population estimate does not mean gorilla numbers in the wild are now safe. The western lowland gorilla continues to come under threat as timber companies move into the region. Logging and land clearance for farming are eating away the Congo Basin, home to more than a quarter of the world's tropical forest. Without careful management of the forest resources and strict enforcement of protected areas, the western lowland gorillas and other subspecies of gorillas will remain severely endangered.
Now more than ever it is essential to preserve the habitats of the great apes and support reforestation.
In 2002, with the Democratic Republic of Congo partially under the control of rebels, the country issued a five-year moratorium on new logging contracts to try and stem rampant deforestation. But the measure went largely unheeded and companies continued to sign new deals.
We ask that officials review the government-sponsored working group's recommendation on August 6, 2008 to cancel more than three quarters of its logging deals for not meeting necessary standards. But we are concerned that these recommendations did not go far enough. Sixteen of the 29 titles received a favorable opinion from the working group, despite being obtained in clear violation of the five-year moratorium on new logging contracts.
We urge you to comply with the five-year moratorium, and deny all logging contracts that were signed under moratorium.
Thank you for protecting the future of endangered gorillas and the biological diversity of the Congo basin."
http://www.care2.com/c2c/share/detail/844698
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/269086042 http://www.care2.com/c2c/share/detail/844698 PLEASE sign, forward & X-POST this petition. ... more -
125,000 gorillas found in African zone
Wildlife researchers said Tuesday that they've discovered 125,000 western lowland gorillas deep in the forests of the Republic of Congo, calling it a major increase in the animal's estimated population.
The Wildlife Conservation Society, based at New York's Bronx Zoo, and the Republic of Congo said their census counted the newly discovered gorillas in two areas of the northern part of the country covering 18,000 square miles.
Previous estimates, dating to the 1980s, put the number of western lowland gorillas at less than 100,000. But the animal's numbers were believed to have fallen by at least 50 percent since then due to hunting and disease, researchers said. The newly discovered gorilla population now puts their estimated numbers at between 175,000 to 225,000.
"This is a very significant discovery because of the terrible decline in population of these magnificent creatures to Ebola and bush meat," said Emma Stokes, one of the research team.
The researchers in the central African nation of Republic of Congo _ neighbor of the much larger Congo _ worked out the population figures by counting the sleeping "nests" gorillas make. The creatures are too reclusive and shy to count individually.
The researchers in the central African nation of Republic of Congo _ neighbor of the much larger Congo _ worked out the population figures by counting the sleeping "nests" gorillas make. The creatures are too reclusive and shy to count individually.
Craig Stanford, professor of anthropology and biology at the University of Southern California, said he is aware of the new study. "If these new census results are confirmed, they are incredibly important and exciting, the kind of good news we rarely find in the conservation of highly endangered animals." He added that independent confirmation will be valuable because nest counts vary depending on the specific census method used.
Western lowland gorillas are one of four gorilla subspecies, which also include mountain gorillas, eastern lowland gorillas and Cross River gorillas. All are labeled either endangered or critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. --Stokes said it does not mean gorilla numbers in the wild are now safe.
"Far from being safe, the gorillas are still under threat from Ebola and hunting for bush meat. We must not become complacent about this. Ebola can wipe out thousands in a short period of time," she said.
The report was released as primatologists in Edinburgh, Scotland warned that nearly half of the world's 634 types of primates are in danger of becoming extinct due to human activity. That figure, carried in a comprehensive review of the planet's apes, monkeys, and lemurs, included primate species and subspecies.
Scientists meeting at the International Primatological Society Congress in Edinburgh said they hoped the report will help spur global action to defend mankind's nearest relatives from deforestation and hunting.
Primatologists warned that species from the giant mountain gorillas of central Africa to the tiny mouse lemurs of Madagascar are on the "Red List" for threatened species maintained by the IUCN.
The review was funded by Conservation International, the Margot Marsh Biodiversity Foundation, Disney's Animal Kingdom and the IUCN. It is part of an examination of the state of the world's mammals due to be released at the 4th IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, Spain, in October.
"It is not too late for our close cousins the primates, and what we have now is a challenge to turn this around," said Russell A. Mittermeier, president of Conservation International and the chairman of the IUCN Species Survival Commission's primate specialist group.
"The review paints a bleak picture. Some primates are quite literally being eaten to extinction. But it is by no means a doomsday scenario. There is a lot of will here among these scientists in Edinburgh and in the countries where primates live." Wildlife researchers said Tuesday that they've discovered 125,000 western lowland gorillas deep in the forests of the Republic of... more -
Diary: Protecting mountain gorillas
In July 2007, armed men entered the Democratic Republic of Congo's Virunga National Park and killed five critically endangered mountain gorillas at point-blank range, leaving the bodies where they fell.
Since September, rebel forces have controlled the area, threatening to kill any conservationists or gorilla rangers who attempted to enter the area.
Diddy and Innocent are long-serving rangers who have spent their working lives protecting the remaining gorillas in the war-torn region.
In this weekly diary, they describe life on conservation's frontline and the frustration of how recent events are hampering their efforts.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7110093.stm In July 2007, armed men entered the Democratic Republic of Congo's Virunga National Park and killed five critically endangered mo... more -
Black Market - Darkness of the Animal Trade
Wildlife trade's dark side:
What do elephants, rhinos, great apes, bears, big cats, sharks, parrots and marine turtles have in common? They're all threatened by the illegal wildlife trade.
View images of the trade in bushmeat that international conservationists are hoping to curb. WARNING: SOME ANIMAL IMAGES ARE GRAPHIC. http://www.msnbc.com/modules/interactive.aspx?id=Wildli...
Great Apes:
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/interactive.aspx?id=Wildli...
An appetite in China for traditional medicines, and hunger in Africa for protein from apes and other wildlife, dubbed bushmeat.
There’s heavy bushmeat hunting in Central and West Africa, says Russ Mitermeier of Conservation International, and heavy poaching for meat and medicinal uses in Southeast Asia and China.
"In Central Africa alone, about one million tons of wild meat is hunted every year," estimates Liz Bennett of the Wildlife Conservation Society. "That is equivalent to 9 billion 1/4 pound hamburgers each year. It has been estimated that that includes some 28 million bay duikers; 16 million blue duikers; 7.5 million red colobus; 1.8 million red river hogs; 34,000 leopards; 15,000 chimps; and 6,250 lowland gorillas."
A 2008 report by the wildlife monitoring group TRAFFIC found that the lack of meat in refugee rations in Tanzania is causing a flourishing illegal trade in bushmeat, including chimpanzees.
Two dozen refugee camps are near wildlife areas, making it easy for poachers. The bushmeat is covertly traded and cooked after dark -- and referred to as 'night time spinach' inside many refugee camps.
'BLACK MARKET' : A Multimedia Interactive: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25677681/ Wildlife trade's dark side: ... more -
Fatal Attack on Gorilla Conservationists
"In an African reserve infamous for gorilla murders, [Gorilla Park]unknown gunners opened fire on a truck belonging to wildlife conservationists on Monday.
The attack killed two women and underscored the danger faced by humans in Virunga National Park in Democratic Republic of the Congo, one of the world's most ecologically diverse—and politically contentious—nature reserves.
The gunners turned their weapons on the truck, owned by the conservation organization WWF, which confirms the account. Congolese park rangers had driven the truck toward the armed men after they had stopped a motorcycle in the Congo's North Kivu Province, home to half the world's 700 wild mountain gorillas. "
The article goes on with shocking numbers of deaths and the frequency of these types of attacks between the poachers and conservationists locked in a bloody battle over the endangered Gorilla. "In an African reserve infamous for gorilla murders, [Gorilla Park]unknown gunners opened fire on a truck belonging to wildlife c... more -
Virunga Gorillas: How to Help
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. ... more -
Gorillas: Kings Of Congo Endangered Mountain Gorillas
Gorillas: Kings Of Congo, CNN's Anderson Cooper Visits Endangered Mountain :
They act tough, but mountain gorillas are really gentle giants. They are playful, peaceful, highly intelligent, and one of our closest animal relatives. The gorillas live in families, each headed by an adult male called a "silverback" because of its distinctive coloring. Over the years, they've been gradually introduced to people, so scientists can study them, and taught that people won't hurt them. But this year, in Congo, humans have betrayed them. Mountain gorillas are under attack.
"They’re extremely threatened in Congo. Threatened to the extent that we're worried about the survival of the whole population," Dr. Emmanuel de Merode, head of the non-profit group WildlifeDirect, explains. "The whole population could be destroyed. Could be wiped out."
WildlifeDirect helps pay the salaries of Congo's park rangers, who protect the gorillas. Dr. de Merode was with the rangers in July when they made their most gruesome discovery, finding the bodies of four gorillas who had been slaughtered in the dead of night.
"It was a terrible, terrible scene to witness," de Merode recalls. "It was our whole lives. Everything we were working for-that was shattered in front of us."
The dead gorillas were part of the Rugendo family. They were the first gorilla group introduced to humans. "We had spent time with that group. And it was, in many ways, a strong sense of trust," de Merode tells Cooper.
The first victim de Merode found was a female named "Safari."
"She was quite famous in many ways because she had just had a baby," he says. "And we had taken a photo in the days after she was born and that photo had been you know a real symbol of hope for us. And then to find her dead. And her baby nowhere to be seen, was gutting and for all of us."
Safari, de Merode says, had been shot twice through the chest. Her killers then poured fuel on her and set her on fire....
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/12/07/60minutes/mai... Gorillas: Kings Of Congo, CNN's Anderson Cooper Visits Endangered Mountain : ... more -
2 Women Killed in Gorilla Reserve
TWO women were killed and three people injured when a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) vehicle was attacked in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The WWF vehicle was travelling with 11 people in the Nord-Kivu sector of the vast territory - famed for sheltering more than half the world's 700 remaining wild mountain gorillas - when it was ambushed by armed men, the United Nations-sponsored radio Okapi said.
An 18-year-old girl and her mother, the wife of a park warden, were shot dead, while two conservationists and the wife of another park warden were injured.
Members of the Congolese conservation institute ICCN were also travelling on board with WWF agents.
The attackers stole GPS devices and other personal belongings.
Okapi radio quoted local officials who attributed the attack to Mai-Mai resistance fighters.
Militia in this region have frequently carried out attacks, violating a January ceasefire signed by all Congolese armed groups.
The Virunga park spreads across the DR Congo-Rwanda border. TWO women were killed and three people injured when a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) vehicle was attacked in Virunga National Park in the D... more -
Gorillas: Sights & Sounds
With just 700 mountain gorillas left on earth, CNN's Anderson Cooper finds some high in the African jungles and reports on why they have become so endangered on this Sunday's 60 Minutes.
*VIDEO*
http://video.aol.com/partner/cbs/sights-and-sounds-gori... With just 700 mountain gorillas left on earth, CNN's Anderson Cooper finds some high in the African jungles and reports on why th... more -
African Gorillas in Peril
CNN's Anderson Cooper travels to an African jungle and reports on the endangered mountain gorilla species, as they have been subject to slaughter and oppression at the hands of humans.
*VIDEO* http://video.aol.com/partner/cbs/african-gorillas-in-pe... CNN's Anderson Cooper travels to an African jungle and reports on the endangered mountain gorilla species, as they have been subj... more -
Gorillas Executed in Congo Park -- National Geographic
Background history of the 'Gorilla Murders' - VIDEO
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/animal... Background history of the 'Gorilla Murders' - VIDEO ... more -
Mountain Gorillas in Peril - 'The Silent Killer'
Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project: http://www.mgvp.org/
Dr. Lucy's Blog - Susa Group
Ururabo's baby seemed to recover completely after his two-day episode of runny nose and soft cough. We'd been checking him daily, along with all of the mothers and infants. Magda had seen him the day before, and he'd looked normal compared to the infants of both Ruvumu and Rwandarushya, who were now coughing along with their mothers. Dufatayne had recovered and her baby had yet to show any symptoms. When I arrived to check on the group, the mothers and infants were again the priority.
We hadn't yet opened our medical bags for the Susa outbreak, but we'd come close twice. Though Poppy had improved, one of her 4-year-old twins, Byishimo, had become progressively sicker. He'd been struggling with a cough and lethargy for over a week and then stopped eating. When he began lagging behind the group, our level of concern shot up.
My initial impression of the group on this morning, Day 20, was that many gorillas had improved. Maybe we'd turned the corner on the outbreak. Then I cautioned myself, remembering the number of infants in the group and the time it takes for this disease to cycle through everyone.
Sure enough, Rwandarushya appeared with her baby. First she coughed and then her infant coughed. His eyes looked bright enough, but he seemed very quiet. Ruvumu had regained her appetite and looked much improved, but her infant had a thick nasal discharge and frequent cough. He's a bigger, older baby, however.
Then we found Ururabo, coughing with nearly every breath, sitting head down and not eating. The baby lay limply in her arms, eyes closed, mouth open, wheezing. They were clearly the sickest of the 39 gorillas today. This little one had come down with the disease six days earlier — plenty of time to develop pneumonia, sometimes called the silent killer.
*PLEASE visit my pages for more information on how you can help these gentle giants...
http://my.care2.com/julesrs007
http://julesrs007saveanimals.blogspot.com/
*ALSO:
http://blogs.discovery.com/quest/2008/07/ururabos-baby-...
http://www.awf.org/content/wildlife/detail/mountaingori... (AWF Wildlife Mountain Gorilla)
http://www.gorillafund.org/ (Saving Gorillas - The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International) Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project: http://www.mgvp.org/ Dr. Lucy's Blog - Susa Group ... more -
Gorilla Murders, Tuesday July 1st.
National Geographic Explorer investigates the execution-style murder of six mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park. Their search reveals corruption and how Virunga has become one of the most dangerous places on earth.
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National Geographic
(comcast San Francisco: 273)
above link for NG channel link.
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also, Terry Gross interviewed the photographer Brent Stirton on 07/24
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91... National Geographic Explorer investigates the execution-style murder of six mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park. Their search r... more -
Take Action - Sign the Bushmeat Promise
Take Action. . . Make a Promise!
Help Save the African Wildlife
The illegal and commercial trade in wild meat – or bushmeat – poses one of the most significant threats to wildlife populations and dependent human communities around the world. It has already resulted in widespread local extinctions in Asia and West Africa, and may push the African great apes—chimpanzees, gorillas, and bonobos—toward extinction within the next decade.People around the globe—like you—want to take action on the bushmeat crisis. Now you can!
The Bushmeat Crisis Task Force (BCTF) and its supporting members have created a way for everyone to be involved – The Bushmeat Promise. This campaign is designed to raise public awareness about the bushmeat crisis and promote direct actions to make a difference. And, by tracking individual efforts, we can document the global collective voice on the bushmeat issue.
If you decide to sign on to the Bushmeat Promise, you will be provided with a Bushmeat Promise Certificate for display and a list of actions you can take to protect endangered African Wildlife in the face of the bushmeat trade. We also have some ideas from others that have signed the Promise. For example, you might choose to educate your friends, support a local project, or volunteer time with a national conservation organization. By signing on to The Bushmeat Promise, you commit to just those actions that best match your individual resources, personality, and interests. In addition, you will be asked to provide contact information so we can keep in touch with you about the actions you take to fulfill your Promise.
Sign on to the BUSHMEAT PROMISE now!
http://www.bushmeat.org/portal/server.pt?open=514&o... Take Action. . . Make a Promise! Help Save the African Wildlife ... more -
Mountain Gorilla Conservation
Help Protect Mountain Gorillas
In a 40-50 year lifetime, a female mountain gorilla might have only 2-6 surviving offspring. This slow reproduction makes this species even more threatened.
Less than 700 of the endangered great ape remain, and in 2007, 10 mountain gorilla killings threatened to reverse decades of conservation progress.
Reason to Hope:
The Virunga Heartland features the last remaining habitat of one of the world’s rarest primates, the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei). This charismatic animal is the flagship species for the conservation of the entire array of wildlife and habitat that make up this unique part of the planet.
AWF has been working to protect mountain gorillas for several decades, funding important research and working to ensure the survival of the mountain gorilla since the late 1970s. This important work has continued in spite of extraordinary circumstances. The human suffering during the Rwandan civil war of the 1990s was incalculable, but without the intervention and continued support of AWF and its partners, the victims of war might also have included the mountain gorilla. Thanks to the bravery and dedication of park rangers - some 70 of whom lost their lives - the Virunga mountain gorillas survived the war and the more recent conflicts in the DRC.
Continuing Threats:
Despite reasons for optimism, death and extinction are constant threats for the mountain gorilla. Historically, mountain gorillas have been threatened by poaching, loss of habitat from population pressures, civil unrest and spread of disease. And as human populations get closer to gorilla habitats, the gorillas are at greater risk of contracting human diseases, from flu-like problems and pneumonia to ebola.
Fortunately, conservation efforts initiated by the International Gorilla Conservation Program (IGCP), a coalition of the African Wildlife Foundation, Fauna and Flora International and World Wide Fund for Nature, have helped to ensure that the gorilla population will endure. Through a variety of methods, including transboundary collaboration, ranger-based monitoring, community development, anti-poaching activities and habitat conservation, IGCP and its conservation partners are helping the mountain gorillas to make a comeback.
Ways to Save Mountain Gorillas:AWF: Mountain Gorilla Conservation
Watch a short video overview of AWF and the International Gorilla Conservation Program's (IGCP) work to save endangered mountain gorillas.
http://www.awf.org/content/solution/detail/3589
* FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE MOUNTAIN GORILLA & MANY OTHER ANIMALS, PLEASE VISIT:
http://julesrs007saveanimals.blogspot.com/
&
http://my.care2.com/julesrs007 Help Protect Mountain Gorillas ... more -
Saving the Gorillas of Congo
Saving the Gorillas of Congo : Explore in pictures (slideshow)
http://www.conservation.org/fmg/pages/galleryplayer.asp...
Please visit my webpages for more information on how you can help prevent this extremely fragile species from becoming extinct. Please help get the word out!
http://julesrs007saveanimals.blogspot.com/
http://my.care2.com/julesrs007
* Find how you can help save these gentle giants, please visit these organizations dedicated to saving this incredible species.
http://www.worldwildlife.org/gorillas/
http://gorilla.wildlifedirect.org/2008/05/16/video-tshi...
http://getinvolved.conservation.org/site/PageServer?pag...
http://www.wcs.org/international/Africa/gorilla
http://www.igcp.org/gorillas/gorillas.htm
http://mgvp.32ad.com/
http://www.gorillas.org/
http://gorilla.wildlifedirect.org/2008/05/16/video-tshi...
http://www.conservation.org/fmg/pages/videoplayer.aspx?...
www.uwa.or.ug/
www.rwandatourism.com/home.htm
discovery.blogs.com/quest
www.iccnrdc.cd/
www.wildlifedirect.org/blogAdmin/gorilladoctors
THANK YOU! Saving the Gorillas of Congo : Explore in pictures (slideshow) ... more -
The gorilla massacre in Virunga National Park that horrified the world
WASHINGTON, JUNE 11 NatGeo-GorillaMurders
First to Gain Access, National Geographic Journalists Unravel Web of Corruption Surrounding the Suspect Behind the Murders in This Refuge for Critically Endangered Primates
'Explorer: Gorilla Murders' Premieres Tuesday, July 1, 2008 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
WASHINGTON, JUNE 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In July 2007, six rare mountain gorillas are senselessly shot in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) Virunga National Park. The world responds in disbelief after shocking photographs by photojournalist Brent Stirton are smuggled out. Only an estimated 720 of these primates remain in the wild, and this is one of the worst massacres of mountain gorillas since scientist Dian Fossey began battling poachers 40 years ago in the very same region. Despite the photographic evidence of the atrocity, the complex story behind it remained largely untold and misunderstood. Who murdered these spectacular creatures and why?
On Tuesday, July 1, 2008, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, National Geographic Channel's "Explorer: Gorilla Murders" reports from eastern DRC, one of the most dangerous places on earth, with the full untold story behind the massacre. Central to the story is Stirton, a South African war photographer with a long history in the region. He was on-location when the murdered gorillas were found and returned to the park for National Geographic to investigate who was behind the killings. In addition to the world television premiere, Stirton's and writer Mark Jenkins' reporting is the July cover story for National Geographic magazine. With the first Western journalists to gain access to the gorilla sector of the park since the killings occurred, National Geographic presents exclusive testimonials from eyewitnesses, including Stirton, who discuss the hunt to bring the perpetrators to justice and the desperate efforts to protect the remaining gorillas, including one miraculous infant whose family was among those massacred.
While the tragedy of the slain gorillas captured the attention of the world, their story only scratches the surface of this complex and often tumultuous region. Located in the DRC, Virunga National Park and its endangered primate residents have been caught in a deadly crossfire between militia groups and the Congolese Army..... WASHINGTON, JUNE 11 NatGeo-GorillaMurders ... more
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