Senkwekwe – which is the name of a bird that is known to sing in the morning – was a very calm Silverback who took good care of his whole family. He was also very strong, as Silverbacks tend to be, so he did engage in fighting when necessary with other Silverbacks. Senkwekwe and his
Rebuilding Rumangabo School for Future Gorilla Guardians
The reconstruction of the primary school at Virunga HQ is underway to provide a better education for Virunga’s children The primary school at Rumangabo was originally built during the colonial era. Civil war and the passage of time have reduced the buildings to rubble or a shadow of their former self and children are now
Re-launching Patrols in the Gorilla Sector of Virunga
Rangers must re-enter the Gorilla Sector to assess the status of DRC’s Mountain Gorillas. Rangers must be prepared to re-enter the Gorilla Sector in Virunga and re-start patrols to protect the Mountain Gorillas. Rebels took control of this 250km2 area on 6 September 2007 – and the plight of the gorillas remains unknown. Rangers at
Charcoal Production: #1 Threat to Mountain Gorillas
Find out why illegal charcoal production in Virunga National Park has become the #1 threat to the survival of the mountain gorilla — and most importantly, what you can do to stop it! Charcoal: The Mountain Gorillas’ Biggest Threat The mountain gorilla is in a fight for its very existence – and time is short.
The Struggle to Protect Congo’s Mountain Gorillas
I was in Goma on the night of 22 July. Emmanuel de Merode was in Bukima with members of my team, and Scott and Brent of Newsweek. They heard shots at around 8pm. The next day, a patrol went in from the Bikenge patrol post and quickly found the bodies of three females. It was
DR Congo Open for Gorilla Tracking
The first steps were taken Jan 2004 on the Congo side of the Virunga Mountains, to once again enter into the lucrative tourist market for gorilla tracking. During the Congo wars to expel the late dictator Mobutu and the subsequent power struggles, and partly caused by Hutu militias responsible for the Rwanda genocide in 1994,