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Protecting the Mountain Gorillas of Virunga
Ranger Killed in Militia Attack on Tshiaberimu
With great sadness, we have received confirmation of the death of Ranger Safari Kakule. Safari was in Tshiaberimu with 6 other Rangers last night, when they were attacked without warning. They defended their position, managing to apprehend a Mai Mai officer, but the attack was extremely violent and they were far outnumbered. As they retreated from their position, Safari was fatally hit by the attackers’ gunfire.
Safari was an exceptional Ranger, who had worked with the gorillas in Tshiaberimu for several years. Recently he had trained as a para-vet, and he was expected to play a very important role in protecting the gorillas of Tshiaberimu. His body was carried out by his colleagues and brought to Kyondo, several hours from where the attack took place. From there he will be taken back to Lubero, to a final resting place at his family home.
Fifteen rangers have arrived in Tshiaberimu. They will be strengthening the position, which we cannot abandon. Norbert Mushenzi, Atamato and Jean-Claude Kyungu are all on site, conducting the investigation and organizing the reinforcements. Because of the arrest that the Rangers were able to make, we have several leads on the perpetrators of the attack, who will be brought to justice.
You can help: all open donations over the next week will go toward Safari’s family and to help us manage the aftermath of the attack.
Below is a video filmed last May of Safari in his element: in the forest with the gorillas.
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News from Congo- Congo City Under Fire as Fighting Spreads - Wall Street Journal
- Qatar Petroleum Buys Congo Stake as Investment at Home Declines - Bloomberg
- Fighting continues in eastern Congo for third straight day - Press TV
- US Non-Intervention In Syria Could Mirror Outcome In Congo - NPR
- How Congress Is Using the Congo to Weaken Dodd-Frank - U.S. News & World Report (blog)
- Mortar lands in Congo as UN chief arrives - Seattle Post Intelligencer
- DR Congo waits on funding for world's largest hydropower project - The Guardian
- Fresh fighting flares in DR Congo - NEWS.com.au
- M23 rebels clash with Congo army for a 2nd day in the country's east - Fox News
- Rwanda's Paul Kagame denounces UN force in DR Congo - BBC News
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34 Responses to “Ranger Killed in Militia Attack on Tshiaberimu”
Dear Emmanuel and team
I am so truly sorry for this terrible news. Please send my condolences to Ranger Kakules family, I’ll put towards the open donation.
My thoughts with you all
I too, am deeply sorry about this terrible loss. We have to keep fighting to put an end to all this bloodshed, please stay safe and let the Kalule family know they’re in our thoughts.
Emmanuel, the death of Ranger Safari Kakule under such tragic circumstances is truly sad news. Please convey my heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and fellow rangers. Iris
Emmanuel,
My heart goes out to all of you for the loss of your friend and co-worker. I am sorry that you have to be the bearer of such sad news. Please extend our sympathy to Safari’s family and to his fellow rangers. Thank you for sharing this glimpse of Safari’s life and work. You are all in my thoughts and prayers.
I am so very sorry to hear the bad news. Please send my condolences to Safari’s family along with my donation. The willingness of Virunga’s rangers to go out every day in the face of such danger is absolutely incredible. The video, as sad as it is to watch, really makes one feel the gravity of the situation, and drives home the fact that Safari, and all the other rangers, are real people — not just names. I am deeply grateful for all they do.
That’s terrible news, what a tragic loss of a fine young man’s life.
I send my sympathies to you, your colleagues and particularly his family.
A tragic loss for Safari’s family, fellow rangers, and friends. Please give the family my heartfelt condolences on their loss and let them know Safari is a hero. I am honored to make a donation to this noble man’s family. I will be praying for an end to this fighting that has cost so many lives. Please tell the rangers to be careful and stay safe.
Very heartbreaking news. My deepest sympathies go out to Ranger Safari’s family and his fellow Rangers. Lisa
My sympathy to Ranger Kakule’s family and to all of his colleagues at Tshiaberimu. The world owes a great deal to these brave and dedicated rangers. Brenton
Deepest sympathies to Safari’s family and fellow rangers.
A desperately sad and tragic loss to the world of gorilla conservation and to Virunga. Words cannot express our sadness.
[...] am have just back from vacation to discover the terrible news about Safari. The video that was posted yesterday was filmed by me last year. It was the first time I had ever [...]
I am so sorry to hear this sad news. It is devastating to lose an important member of your community and ranger team. My deepest sympathies for Safari’s family and his coworkers.
Safari’s heroism is a shining and inspiring example of courage and compassion in a brutal world. Words cannot express the depth of sadness of such a loss.
I have no words for this. My condolances to all his friends and family.
Such sad news and it feels terrible that these brave men have to die to protect wildlife. There are no words to express one’s gratitude to these men and their families…
Мог бы долго с вами спорить на эту тему
I cry not only for Safari’s family, friends, co-workers and fellow rangers, but for the Gorillas who have lost such a valuable asset in their struggle for survival. Safari was a selfless brave man and will truly be missed by all. Please send my deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.
Dear Emmanuel and Gorilla Team,
We are so sorry to hear of Safari’s death . . .
Our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.
Another tragic blow for conservation.
We hold you all close to our hearts,
Vanessa and the Happy Hollow Zoo Crew
Very sorry to learn the sad news. Please pass over my sincere condolences to Safari’s family and to the complete team of the Virunga National Park. My deap sympathy also to the wounded ranger and my wishes for a prompt recovery.
All your net-friends realise how brave you all are, doing a great job in especially difficult and dangerous conditions.
May Safari rest in peace and I pray for him and his family.
Rosalie de Merode
Please give my sincere condolences to Safari’s family. His death is a great loss to conservation. Truly, this is the most dangerous job in the world with the most dedicated people doing it.
s.
It’s terrible to hear about the loss of another brave, dedicated ranger, and my condolences and Safari’s family.
I am truly saddened by this terrible news. My heartfelt condolences to Safari’s family. Virunga’s rangers are true heroes.
Thank you for all the condolences. I will have them printed and given to Safari’s family when I go to see them.
We are very grateful for all your support
I’ve just read a brief article at the CNN website about this latest attack by the Mai-Mai militiamen upon your rangers. This is terrible and the death of Ranger Safari Kakule is a great loss for his family, your team of rangers, and the gorillas and other wildlife that you are so desperately trying to protect.
We in the world community must find ways to bring more pressure upon our own leaders and the parties of conflict in your region to work harder at bringing about a lasting peace to the eastern DRC.
I am really saddened by this news and extend my condolences to Safari’s family.
What a tremendous loss…my condolences to all who knew him. Thank you for sharing this video, it is a wonderful tribute…and it made me smile to see Safari so non-plussed when the gorilla came out to chest beat.
Words cannot express the sorrow that I feel for this devastating loss. May all who mourn find peace and comfort in the memories and hope Safari has left behind. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, and all those whose lives he’s touched.
Please send our deepest condolences and open donation to Safari Kakule’s family. Most of all, please convey to them the deep esteem in which he has been held throughout the world for his work and courage.
I am so sorry about Safari’s tragic and senseless death. My heart goes out to his family and friends.
He made it his mission to protect the gorillas from dangers that he became a victim of himself. I thank him for his courageous service.
[...] January 9th I blogged about the tragic death of Ranger Safari Kakule following the Mai-Mai attack on a Tshiaberimu patrol [...]
[...] Safari Kakulu, who was killed last week, will also be honored in the same way in the [...]
[...] family group and saw that Bilali had a new baby, it was obvious that we had to name the baby after Safari Kakule, the Ranger who was killed in the line of duty earlier this [...]
[...] this is the third Ranger killed in the line of duty this year alone, following the death of Safari in January and Katambiri in [...]
[...] Ranger Safari Killed in Tshiaberimu Attack [...]
[...] in her group, she would have her hands full for some time. The rangers named the baby Kakule after Safari Kakule, a Ranger who was killed in the line of duty in January [...]