The most endangered primate, the mountain gorilla, is a species that has endured countless conflicts that have damaged their chance of survival. The Congo is a nation rich in minerals and resources, but with that said, they are also a nation rich in corruption. Due to an influx of rebels and militias there has been an ongoing civil war, lasting decades. War and illegally mined goods has been disadvantageous to the living conditions of the Congolese people and to the Congo’s environment. Mountain gorillas have been poached, hunted, and killed as a warning; furthermore, they have lost much of their habitat due to the harsh conditions the Congolese people have put them through, such as war and illegal mining. The protection of Mountain Gorillas
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Mountain gorilla deaths are taken very seriously, Nick Wadhams from Kenya reported, “Conservationists say that the gorilla killings in Virunga last year were meant to be a message to rangers who have sought to crack down on the trade” (Wadhams 8). This quote is talking about the deaths of the gorillas, that were contributed to retaliation from the militia, due to the fact that some rangers had started to investigate the illegal trade operations happening in Virunga National Park. The Militia believed that if they killed the gorillas then rangers would back off, due to the fact that they don't want to see more dead gorillas. Genuine park rangers have started to rally together and take a stand against corruption in the park system, Karin Andreasson reports, “The park’s mountain gorillas are looked after by dedicated rangers, who spend every day with them. They know them as well as their own family” (Andreasson 5). These park rangers have names for the gorillas, and care for them as if the were people. When a gorilla is killed, rangers gather together and mourn the death of the helpless creature. Overall, deaths of mountain gorillas are extremely unfortunate, but with dedicated park rangers who fight against mountain gorillas killings, hopefully this species can …show more content…
Some reasons the number of mountain gorillas has been so low is due to the fact of the loss of habit, some causes are, “Charcoal requires hardwood and a lot of it can be found in the gorilla habitat.” (Andreasson 6). With the profuse amount of illegal traders and miners found in the Congo, they have been known to illegally deforest the gorilla habitat in order to get charcoal. Hardwood taken from the mountain gorilla environment causes them to be confined to smaller spaces which means less resources for them. A great deal of corruption can be found in the Congo, but surprisingly, even park rangers have been a part of the corruption, Andreasen states, “Ironically, one of the wardens was found to be behind the shootings. There was a court case and some rangers were fired. Two were jailed. I suppose the only good thing to come out of this was that the world woke up to the difficulties of gorilla conservation in Congo but also to conservation in general” (Andreasen 7). Talking about the shooting of some mountain gorillas, it is said that the park warden was one of the reasons this shooting happened. The involvement of the warden and park rangers is due to money being given to them in order for park rangers to turn a blind eye to the illegal mining going on in the park/mountain gorilla habitat. That being said, this event brought attention to the issues
Mountain gorilla deaths are taken very seriously, Nick Wadhams from Kenya reported, “Conservationists say that the gorilla killings in Virunga last year were meant to be a message to rangers who have sought to crack down on the trade” (Wadhams 8). This quote is talking about the deaths of the gorillas, that were contributed to retaliation from the militia, due to the fact that some rangers had started to investigate the illegal trade operations happening in Virunga National Park. The Militia believed that if they killed the gorillas then rangers would back off, due to the fact that they don't want to see more dead gorillas. Genuine park rangers have started to rally together and take a stand against corruption in the park system, Karin Andreasson reports, “The park’s mountain gorillas are looked after by dedicated rangers, who spend every day with them. They know them as well as their own family” (Andreasson 5). These park rangers have names for the gorillas, and care for them as if the were people. When a gorilla is killed, rangers gather together and mourn the death of the helpless creature. Overall, deaths of mountain gorillas are extremely unfortunate, but with dedicated park rangers who fight against mountain gorillas killings, hopefully this species can …show more content…
Some reasons the number of mountain gorillas has been so low is due to the fact of the loss of habit, some causes are, “Charcoal requires hardwood and a lot of it can be found in the gorilla habitat.” (Andreasson 6). With the profuse amount of illegal traders and miners found in the Congo, they have been known to illegally deforest the gorilla habitat in order to get charcoal. Hardwood taken from the mountain gorilla environment causes them to be confined to smaller spaces which means less resources for them. A great deal of corruption can be found in the Congo, but surprisingly, even park rangers have been a part of the corruption, Andreasen states, “Ironically, one of the wardens was found to be behind the shootings. There was a court case and some rangers were fired. Two were jailed. I suppose the only good thing to come out of this was that the world woke up to the difficulties of gorilla conservation in Congo but also to conservation in general” (Andreasen 7). Talking about the shooting of some mountain gorillas, it is said that the park warden was one of the reasons this shooting happened. The involvement of the warden and park rangers is due to money being given to them in order for park rangers to turn a blind eye to the illegal mining going on in the park/mountain gorilla habitat. That being said, this event brought attention to the issues