gorilla.cd

Hot off the press everyone: A baby gorilla has been seized from animal traffickers by ICCN following a 3-month undercover investigation to bust an international wildlife smuggling ring. This operation was led by Emmanuel with the participation of a key group of Rangers and Pierre.

Here she is - recently rescued with… you guessed it… Faustin Read the full story »

The Virunga Youth Alliance is a local club (and registered NGO) that brings together over 130 young members from the communities around the park to learn about environmental conservation through sport and other activities.

Children playing football (soccer) at the field in Rumangabo Station Read the full story »

Lately we have had to make some routine transfers of Ranger teams between different parts of Virunga National Park. That is why last week I had to organize the move of teams of Rangers between Rumangabo, Rwindi, and Lulimbi Stations (see map).

During one of these moves, I drove our landcruiser pickup (ICCN 003) to Rwindi to bring Rangers and their families East to Lulimbi and South to Rumangabo. We were driving past Mabenga when saw the big herd of elephants that lives in that area. We stopped the car and from the road you could see at least 50 elephants.

The grass around the elephants was very tall Read the full story »

Part of my job is to interview Rangers for their profiles on our field team page. It is very interesting work since most of the Rangers have absolutely amazing stories. For example, earlier this month I spoke to the driver Roy Kiyoma, who had this story to tell:

“My career as a Ranger officially started in 1997 at Lulimbi, on the southern shores of Lake Edward protecting hippos and other animals. But before that I used to act as an informant to park authorities by pretending to be a fish salesman. The aim was to prevent poaching in the park and fishing in spawning grounds. Read the full story »

Since February, when we conducted a training course in photography for Rangers in the Gorilla Sector, the camera has joined the machete, GPS, and AK-47 as an essential tool for Rangers on patrol.

I have been looking through the pictures taken this month by Rangers at Bukima patrol post and I have been struck that they provide a unique window into the arduous daily work the Rangers undertake to protect Virunga’s mountain gorillas from poachers and other threats.

These pictures show the Rangers in their element: the vast and dense forest in which they somehow find the gorillas every day and destroy the snares that endanger them:

Read the full story »

We have got great news to tell you! The entire April fuel briquette production has been purchased by our friends at WWF. 300 hundred sacks of fuel briquettes will be distributed to 6 IDP (Internally Displaced People) camps in Goma, through WWF’s emergency fund which provides the displaced people with a sustainable energy source. This program will go on for the following 3 months, and hopefully more funding will be available to continue until the end of this year. With WWF’s help, we will be able to keep purchasing the briquettes produced from those villagers who have been beneficiaries of our training and pressing machine kits.

Read the full story »