Virunga Mountains

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…

Dian Fossey was born in one of the worst eras in history, a time when the rich where beggars and the poor were starving. In 1932 during the depression Dian Fossey was born, her mother Kitty was a fashion model and her father George was an insurance agent. Her father loved to be out in nature and hated his job and eventually started drinking; his wife was not pleased and soon filed a divorce. Soon Diana's mother met a new husband, his name was Richard. Unlike Diana birth father, George, Richard…

Dian Fossey was a zoologist known for researching endangered gorillas. She researched the gorillas in the Rwandan Mountain Forest. She was murdered and nobody knew it was going to happen. Dian Fossey was only 53 years old when she was killed. She did not go to College to be a zoologist, she went to school to become a occupational therapist. Occupational Therapy is to help with mental, physical, and cognitive disorder. She had a great and unique talent. Though she was never assaulted, the…

Tucked away in the northeastern portion of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Virunga National Park is one of the most biodiverse and rich areas left in the world. It is a safe haven for many exotic and endangered animals, including mountain gorillas. However, because the Democratic Republic of Congo is centrally located in Africa, the country is in midst of turmoil and wars that erupted following post-colonization. Furthermore, the Democratic Republic of Congo itself has instability within its…

The documentary, Virunga was directed by Orlando Von Einsiedel and released on April 17, 2014. The Virunga National park lies in the eastern Congo. It is the home of the last mountain gorillas and takes in orphan gorillas. The new rebel group, M23, declares a war in 2012 causing a huge commotion and making the National Park a big target. Wanting to protect its park and its gorillas from people who want to close down the park, they created the documentary, Virunga. It shows a significant amount…

Virunga National Park Tourism: Have Positive Influence On Local Economy, Conservation and Politic. Virunga National Park is a park where many gorillas live and there are many natural resources. Through the Virunga documentary, (2014) a documentary that depicts rangers take risks to protect gorillas in Virunga National Park, we can know there are many poaching and political conflicts which negatively impact local people and environment. In the documentary, local people claim that Virunga…

“By endurance we conquer.” - Ernest Shackleton. Polar expeditions are some of the most dangerous expeditions out there and are very demanding. Planning the trip, animals, living conditions, food and each crew member struggling to help each other out and keep their sanity are just some of the hurdles in these treacherous expeditions. You might already have a clue about how hard these expeditions are because well, everyone knows how harsh Antarctica is being known as a “frozen desert”, but in this…

He descended to the earth in ten different forms (avatars) to preserve righteousness in the world. The Himalaya has done the same: Mountains reincarnate to preserve the planet's 'right environment' for life. This Vishnu-Himalaya parallelism has mythological beauty and richness. In Hindu mythology, Himavat is the personification of the Himalayan Mountains. He is the father of Ganga, a heavenly river that flew from the toe of Vishnu, but which was brought down to the earth to purify the ashes of…

have ever seen, Beartooth Mountain. The first time I see the mountain I am astounded anything could possibly be so immense. The sun catches the snow at the top of the mountain shooting light down into the Valley below. Then my view slides down the mountain, numerous pine trees seem to wrap around the entire mountain like a child in their blanket. This is the moment I realize it is amazing that later today, I am going to be at the top. As I approach the mass of pine trees, I begin to smell the…

people I shared the chairlift with would tell me how lucky I was, but I would just smile politely and nod, unaware of my fortune. I had grown up in mountains and didn’t know anything different. As I have gotten older and been fortunate enough to have traveled outside of my familiar mountain range, I have realized how intensely beautiful mountains are. Now that I have become so attached to my activities and lifestyle in Vail, I can’t imagine growing up anywhere else. The beautiful mountains that…