Nachdem die berühmten Berggorillas in Zentralafrika gerettet schienen und die Population erfreulich zunahm, sieht es jetzt durch den Bürgerkrieg im Kongo wieder übel aus. Die Ranger der Nationalparkbehörde gerieten unter Beschuss von Seiten der Rebellen. Die Gorillas sind nun vollkommen ohne Schutz, denn die drei zuständigen Rangerposten mussten evakuiert werden, 300 Ranger mit ihren Familen die Region verlassen…

Hier die Pressemitteilung der Zoologischen Gesellschaft Frankfurt (ZGF).

Press Release

CONGO MOUNTAIN GORILLA SECTOR SEIZED BY REBEL TROOPS
 
The Mountain Gorilla sector in eastern DR Congo was seized and occupied by forces loyal to renegade General Laurent Nkunda following attacks on patrol posts in Virunga National Park early today that forced Rangers to flee. Two key patrol posts – Jomba and Bikenge – were looted of weapons, ammunition and communication equipment. Bukima evacuation is underway pending imminent attack (see map).

These are the 3 strategic patrol posts for the monitoring and protection of Mountain Gorillas and the evacuation involves the upheaval of some 300 individuals, including rangers and their families.

Norbert Mushenzi, Director of the Southern Sector of Virunga National Park for the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) said, “If anything happens to the Mountain Gorillas now there is nothing we can do. As of today the sector is no longer under my control and we have been rendered powerless by these actions.”

The Mountain Gorilla sector, also known as the Mikeno Sector, was attacked in January 2007, when two Silverbacks were also killed. Another gorilla was executed in June and in July 5 were massacred causing an international outcry. The area continues to see heightened political instability (reported widely in the international media) and Rangers have been struggling to protect the Mountain Gorillas amid the threat of poachers and armed militia groups. On Thursday a Ranger was shot and killed north of Rutshuru, in another patrol post attack.

“It is vital that as conservation NGOs, we maintain our neutral position while politically charged conflict rages around us. Only by remaining apolitical will we have a chance of pushing the conservation agenda and the desperate need to protect the mountain gorillas onto the table of warring factions,” said Robert Muir, Project Leader for Frankfurt Zoological Society.

ICCN and conservation NGOs including the Frankfurt Zoological Society, WildlifeDirect, ZSL, DFGF and IGCP are currently funding a $100,000 3-month crisis management program. The program aims to increase the number of rangers patrolling the sector and the frequency of these patrols, but it is now under threat following today’s attacks.

Dr Emmanuel de Merode, Director of WildlifeDirect said “Mountain Gorillas in Congo face enormous perils, as do the Rangers. They need our support even more now. We do not believe the rebels are specifically targeting the gorillas. The gorillas happen to live in one of the areas of the worst areas of the world for conflict that is strategically important for armed groups. But we fear for the safety of these endangered creatures.”
A census of the remaining gorilla families has been completed and initial results are reported on http://www.wildlifedirect.org/gorillaprotection. Additional information on this situation can also be found on this blog.
Some 1,100 Wildlife Rangers protect the National Parks of Eastern Congo, a region affected by a 10-year civil war. These parks are home to mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, forest elephants and rhinos. The Rangers have remained active in protecting these parks, four of which have been classified as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

Editor’s Notes:

Mountain Gorillas are critically endangered, with only 700 remaining in the world, about 380 in the Virunga Volcanoes Conservation Area (shared by DRC, Rwanda and Uganda) and 320 in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda.  Despite the conflict in the region, their decline has been reversed thanks to international support and courageous conservationists coupled with the popularity of gorilla-watching tourism.

2007 Mountain Gorilla Killings in Virunga National Park, DRC
-      January – 2 Silverbacks killed
-      January – 1 adult female missing since this time
-      June – Kabirizi Family attack: 1 female killed, 1 female missing since this time. 1 orphan in Goma of deceased female
-      July – Rugendo Family: Silverback killed, 4 females killed (including an adult female whose remains were found weeks after), 1 orphan in Goma (Ndeze), 1 infant still missing/presumed dead. Total toll of attack on Rugendo family: 6 dead (including infant presumed dead), 1 orphan in care. Family down from 12 members to 5, with only one female now in the group that is not of a reproductive age.
-      August – Silverback Lulengo missing since January found.
-      Total killed to date in 2007: 9
-      Total missing to date in 2007: 2

Congo Rangers work throughout the country to protect the National Parks of Congo and their wildlife from poachers, rebel groups, illegal miners and land invasions. Over 150 Rangers have been killed in the last 10 years protecting the 5 parks of eastern DRC, and Rangers worked throughout the civil war without receiving a salary. Rangers continue to struggle to fund patrols and many are directly supported by donations received through Wildlifedirect.org.

Virunga National Park, Africa’s oldest national park (established in 1925) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, is home to half the world’s mountain gorillas. Formerly known as Albert National Park, Virunga lies in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and covers 7,800 square kilometers. The park is managed by the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature, the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN).


For additional information please contact:

Norbert Mushenzi, Director, Southern Sector of Virunga National Park, ICCN – mushelusenge@yahoo.fr

Robert Muir, Frankfurt Zoological Society, Goma – robertmuir@fzs.org or +243 (0)99725 1960

Dr Emmanuel de Merode, WildlifeDirect, Goma – edemerode@wildlifedirect.org

Samantha Newport, Communications Director, WildlifeDirect – snewport@wildlifedirect.org or +243 99 433 4645. 3-4th Sep please call int’l code +8821621974901

Lucy Fauveau, Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Goma – zsl_drc@yahoo.fr or +254 99 7702894

Linda Nunn, Gearing Up 4 Gorillas, UK – linda@g4g.co.uk or +44 7801 531205

Also visit http://www.wildlifedirect.org/gorillaprotection for additional information and photos.