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Protecting the Mountain Gorillas of Virunga
“Militants Kill Animals in Congo National Park”
After a follow-up of the IDPE report on the killing of elephants in Virunga, this news report came out this morning on Agence France Press:
KINSHASA (AFP) — Dozens of animals have been killed by armed groups at Africa’s oldest national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the start of the year, park officials and environmental groups said Tuesday.
Chimpanzees, elephants, antelopes, birds and hippos have been slaughtered after Virunga National Park became the scene of intense fighting.
The park, on the frontier with Uganda, was made a world heritage site by the UN’s cultural body UNESCO, and is home to endangered species such as the mountain gorilla.
“Four chimpanzees were killed last week in the central zone and 11 elephants since the start of the year,” park director Emmanuel de Merode told AFP.
He added “a large number of game animals”, including antelopes, had also been slaughtered.
Bantu Lukamba, from local environmental NGO Innovation, said: “At least 31 animals, including 11 migratory birds and three hippos were killed over 21 days.”
They died between May 25 and June 16, he said.
Armed groups have overrun the park since violence flared up last year.
It became the theatre of intense fighting, mainly between government forces or their proxies and rebels of the National Congress for the Defence of the People.
“It is impossible to get control the situation in the park, given the huge number of armed men who exploit its resources,” Merode said.
The park is also home to Lake Edward, which in 1980 was the world’s most important hippopotamus sanctuary with 27,000 of the animals.
There are now less than 300, according to Merode.
Created in 1925, Virunga National Park is the oldest in Africa.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
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News from Congo- Report: Congo mutineer forces 149 more boys, young men to fight - Los Angeles Times
- Group: Congo general recruiting children again - Atlanta Journal Constitution
- Vodacom May Lose Congo Shares as Court Orders June Sale - BusinessWeek
- Prosecutor: Congo suspects are guilty as charged - Fox News
- Group: Congo general recruiting children again - STLtoday.com
- ICC Prosecutors Say Congo Leaders Guilty of Village Massacre - AllAfrica.com
- Falconets off to Congo DR - Nigerian Tribune
- Congo Police Investigate Former PM for Corruption - Voice of America
- NEWSMAKER-Goodlace a calm hand for Implats tiller - Reuters
- Congo: Peacekeepers Wounded - New York Times
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8 Responses to ““Militants Kill Animals in Congo National Park””
This is horrible! Why can’t people allow the animals to live in peace in their own home?! It makes me sick to see the lack of respect for life, both animal and human. Mother nature will have the last word one day.
[...] Bantu Lukamba, from local environmental NGO Innovation, said: “At least 31 animals, including 11 migratory birds and three hippos were killed over 21 days.” More [...]
This just makes me want to cry…..
It makes me cry too. The question is WHY??? WHY CAN’T THEY STOP FIGHTING, OR WHY THEY CAN’T EVEN FIGHT IN OTHER PLACES!! They don’t even respect themselves, so it’s impossible to think they would respect the nature.
Following Theresa’s words, mother nature will have the last word one day. And may I add:
I hope one day they run out of bullets between the elephants and the chimps That day, mother nature will speak through the apes’ arms and the elephants fangs. I dream about that day.
It makes me sick to see the lack of respect for life
I think the people there have failed to have the right to live.
We need to go in and exterminate every single homo sapien. And make the nation a protected park. We have failed in so many places that I think it is time we start killing all animal and child abusers and war mongers. No more breeding shit.
I have read your article for a several times and I was impressed by it! It was very interesting so I shared it with my friends. Hope they will like it too.
The Adjustment Bureau review
this is horrible!