The animals that live in the Mikeno Sector have made the last three months difficult for the Rangers. When peace returned to the park the people living close to it went back to their normal daily lives, to their fields, and to their work as farmers. Their crops have proved enormously attractive to Mikeno’s elephants,
Silverback Gorilla Destroying Crops Re-Located Back to Forest
The Solitary Silverback Gorilla Mukunda had been ravaging the crops of local villagers living around Virunga’s Gorilla Sector for two months. We were starting to fear for his life, as his systematic crop-raiding destroyed the livelihoods of the local communities who depend upon their agricultural produce to survive. The Rangers had to take action to
Angry Villagers Slay Buffalo
Two buffalo – a female and a male – have been speared and macheted to death near Jomba on the edge of the Gorilla Sector by villagers angry at the animals for eating and destroying their crops. We have often blogged about the conflict between humans and wildlife around Virunga, and specifically around the Gorilla
Human Gorilla Protectors now Patrolling for Snares and other Threats
The HUGOs – which comes from Human & Gorilla Protection – are hard at work. These men – 40 of them in total – are the Community Scouts that Emmanuel blogged about in February, and form part of a new intiative to remove snares in the Gorilla Sector of Virunga. This decision was taken if
Congo’s Charistmatic Silverback Buhanga Dies, Age 23
Buhanga, the 23 year old solitary Silverback of Congo’s Gorilla Sector, has died. He was found yesterday near Gatovu patrol post, his favorite haunt, lying face down in a stream struggling to breath. Innocent, Dr Magda and the Rangers were with him when he took his last breaths some 30 minutes later. Today Dr Jan
Villager Killed by Elephant Stealing Crops
In the early hours of this morning a villager near the Gorilla Sector (near Bukima) was killed by a forest elephant. The elephant was trying to steal potatoes from the fields, and the villager was trying to scare him away. Innocent tells me that the man was hit with the trunk of the elephant and