An Attack In A Congolese Gorilla Habitat

Three rangers and five soldiers were killed in an attack that took place in the Virunga National Park this week. Three other rangers remain in the hospital with serious wounds. The attackers are believed to be FDLR Rwanda Militia members who had come across the border to harvest illegal charcoal.

Nearly 700 FDLR soldiers had been spotted in the park in recent days. The attack took place while the Congolese soldiers and rangers were deploying along the park’s central road – an area that had been unsafe as a result of the illegal and armed troops that had entered the park.

The attack was the most serious such event in the past year. 130 rangers have died in various conflicts since 1996 within the park. With only an estimated 600 individuals remaining of the mountain gorilla population, those that live within the park represent about a third of the total number remaining.

Charcoal or Gorillas

The main point of conflict between preservationists and those who come in to the park for poaching isn’t even the gorillas. Rather it is the illegal charcoal trade that makes killing gorillas inevitable. Rwanda banned the manufacture of charcoal so instead it is made illegally in Virunga National Park and smuggled over the border. Rwandans use the charcoal for heating and cooking.

Whole sections of the park are stripped of their trees and those trees, in turn, become charcoal. These barren areas eliminate foraging territory for the gorillas and in inevitable conflicts, the armed poachers win.

What Comes Next

The dedicated work of many individuals goes into caring for the park and the gorillas therein. This tragic event won’t keep the soldiers or rangers from returning to their work. While no gorillas were killed in this attack, they have been victims before.

Donations have been collected for the widows of the fallen, and the park is continuing to collect monies to be used for a variety of essential supplies and programs. If you are interested in donating you can find the park’s official blog online and help with the ongoing effort.

By: Michael R.

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Michael Rupkalvis works with the LedBulbsandLights website. The site features a variety of different types of environmentally-friendly LED products, including the PAR16 LED Spotlight and other LED lighting options.