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Protecting the Mountain Gorillas of Virunga
Ranger Families are Evacuated
Sunday, 10 AM
The fighting has intensified. Heavy shelling in the north and east, with several key positions taken by the M23 units. We held our security meeting in Rumangabo early this morning, and have made the final decision to evacuate all ranger families and staff to Goma. We are setting up a makeshift internally displaced camp (IDP) in Goma, at Kituku, close to where our rangers’ families were four years ago during the last war. Everyone has been working hard since five o’clock this morning, and we hope to have all the families safe in Goma by early afternoon. It’s a major operation, to fund-raise, organise and maintain this camp.
Thirty of us will stay to maintain the park’s activities and protect the station against looting. It has not been possible to evacuate the gorillas, because the risk of transport is too great, and we feel that their security is best assured by protecting them onsite.
We’re very saddened by the turn of events, but the energy, courage and strength of our small team of rangers gives me incredible hope that we will be able to ride this storm, and continue the wonderful work of rebuilding this park.
To watch a video on the park and the current crisis, click HERE to go to our Virunga Crisis website.
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RECENT DONATIONS
- 24 May 2013Open donation
Unregistered Donor 10 $ - 24 May 2013Open donation
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23 May 2013Open donation
Megan 15 $ - 23 May 2013Protecting Park Area 204
Unregistered Donor 25 $ - 23 May 2013Protecting Park Area 208
25 $ - 23 May 20132 x Ranger Support
40 $ - 23 May 2013Open donation
Unregistered Donor 100 $ - 23 May 2013Open donation
Unregistered Donor 120 $ -
23 May 2013 Multiple items
Rosemary M 50 $ - 22 May 2013Protecting Park Area 37
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Unregistered Donor 25 $ - 22 May 2013Widows and Rangers Fund
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scott l 25 $ - 22 May 2013Protecting Park Area 28
25 $ - 22 May 2013 Multiple items
Unregistered Donor 150 $ - 22 May 2013Widows and Rangers Fund
Unregistered Donor 30 $ - 22 May 2013 Guarding a Gorilla
10 $ - 22 May 20132 x Gorilla and Wildlife Protection
Unregistered Donor 40 $ -
21 May 2013Protecting Park Area 75
Katy A 25 $ - 21 May 2013Open donation
Unregistered Donor 25 $ - 21 May 2013Open donation
Unregistered Donor 25 $ -
20 May 2013Protecting Park Area 76
Kevin 25 $ - 20 May 2013 Multiple items
Unregistered Donor 40 $ - 20 May 2013 Guarding a Gorilla
Unregistered Donor 10 $ - 20 May 2013Monthly Support
Unregistered Donor 35 $ - 20 May 2013Protecting Park Area 169
25 $ -
20 May 2013Open donation
Tatjana D 10 $ - 20 May 2013 Multiple items
Unregistered Donor 40 $ - 20 May 2013Protecting Park Area 216
Unregistered Donor 25 $ - 20 May 2013Open donation
Unregistered Donor 25 $ -
20 May 2013Supporting Jomba School
Eugene Martin F 30 $ - 20 May 2013Supporting Gatovu School
Eugene Martin F 30 $ - 20 May 2013Supporting Bikenge School
Eugene Martin F 35 $ - 19 May 2013Open donation
100 $ -
19 May 2013Protecting Park Area 117
Anna L 25 $ -
19 May 2013Protecting Park Area 39
Bill W 25 $ - 19 May 201320 x Virunga's Surveillance Aircraft
Unregistered Donor 20 $ - 19 May 2013OPEN DONATIONS
Unregistered Donor 50 $ - 18 May 2013Open donation
Unregistered Donor 20 $ - 18 May 2013Widows and Rangers Fund
Unregistered Donor 30 $ - 18 May 20132 x Gorilla and Wildlife Protection
Unregistered Donor 40 $ - 18 May 2013Open donation
Unregistered Donor 25 $ -
18 May 2013Protecting Park Area 133
Janice T 25 $ - 18 May 2013Protecting Park Area 131
Unregistered Donor 25 $ - 18 May 2013Support Andre and the Gorilla Orphans
Unregistered Donor 10 $ - 18 May 2013 Multiple items
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17 May 2013Protecting Park Area 218
Thierry 25 $ - 17 May 2013Monthly Support
Unregistered Donor 15 $
- 24 May 2013Open donation
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News from Congo- UN Chief Challenges African Leaders Over Congo - ABC News
- Children as young as 8 working in Congo copper mines - Toronto Star
- UN and World Bank in DR Congo peace push - Aljazeera.com
- DR Congo: M23 rebels declare truce for Ban Ki-moon visit - BBC News
- Minister confirms SA troops placed in Congo after CAR battle - BusinessLIVE
- M23 rebels announce ceasefire for UN chief's Congo visit - Yahoo! News
- Sourcing from Africa's Great Lakes: conflict-free or Congo-free? - Financial Times (blog)
- World Bank pledges $1bn for DR Congo and neighbours - BBC News
- TOTAL Gets a New Partner in Congo - Zacks.com
- On joint visit to DR Congo, UN and World Bank chiefs voice support for latest ... - UN News Centre
This website was funded by the European Union and the Prince Bernard Nature Fund.
31 Responses to “Ranger Families are Evacuated”
I am always with you, with my thoughts and my heart.
Sorry Emmanuel, please stay safe.
thanks for the update LuAnne. Please take care. Thinking of you all and the team of rangers.
Very Sad News, I hope the camp can be set up with the support of everyone
Hi Emmanuel,
This is obviously a very worrying situation, and all of us here are sending thoughts your way, to all of your team, for a peaceful outcome.
Of all of the teams I have met in 35 years traveling Africa, I cannot think of a more resolute or determined group to do what has to be done.
Stay safe.
Mike & TJ
Sarah and Cai, please stay safe! Good luck with everything!!
My prayers for all and good luck.
Thinking or you all at this terrible terrible time. My heart is with you all and the wildlife.
Thinking of and missing you all. Please let us know what we can do to help.
Our thoughts are with you. Bon courage à tous. Stay safe.
Courage. P
Dear Virunga team, my thoughts are always with you in this dangerous situation. I wish you a return of peace soon.
Wolfgang from Germany
Attention les amis, restez hyper prudents ! On pense à vous !
Our thoughts, prayers, tears, and hopes are with you more than ever right now. Please stay safe.
How terrible. My thoughts are with all of you. Iris
Hi Bends and Cai, sounds like a bleak situation - hope everything works out ok; stay safe and keep us posted C&L xx
I wish I could do more to support you and the wonderful group that you work with. Please stay safe and know that our positive thoughts are with you all.
Our thoughts are with you through this harrowing time. Stay safe. With love and thoughts from the team at the Jane Goodall Institute in Australia.
It is with trepidation that I open your blog. What an amazing team! Please stay safe and hopefully this awful nightmare will end for you all very soon!
Heartbreaking…You are a brave, valiant, and steadfast team. I pray for your safety, for your families, and for the gorillas.
This is the Battle of Thermopylae and I pray there is a Leonidas among them who can hold back the savages to save these innocent creatures. It is deeply saddening that we could be witnessing the end of a noble species at the hands of crude barbarians who would cut off their own hand if the price is right.
i will be back again
good luck guy’s my thoughts go out to you , fighting for what is right
To have families evacuated because of deforestation.. Wild.
ilys
I will do all i cotyan to support u all
Our thoughts are with you all. Stay safe.
=_= well this is sad…
I am an ex royal engineer with plant licences and hgv class 1 and 2,
Ive have experience in water purification bridging and construction as well as first aid qualifications and i want to help, i feel strongly about the preservation of the planets wildlife due to the fact we need it to survive, i want to volenteer to help any response would be much appreciated, thomas clough
I feel sorry for the animals and poor people who live there. We need people to stop all of the fires and deforestation to keep homes and prevent perishing wildlife!
GOOD LUCK AND STAY SAFE!