07 Sep 2007 - Virunga,
DR Congo – Conservation organizations, including
WWF, are closely watching to see if Congo’s
Virunga National Park rare mountain gorillas
are safe, following a period of fierce clashes
between Congolese military and rebels in
the area.
Recent reports from ICCN, The Congolese
Institute for the Conservation of Nature,
say that heavy shelling has been taking
place near the town of Bikenge in the eastern
part of the Democratic Republic of Congo
close to the borders of Uganda and Rwanda
— a site at the edge of gorilla habitat.
It’s unclear who is responsible for the
attacks.
Earlier this week, the gorilla population
had been left completely unprotected as
rangers were forced to evacuate their guard
posts.
“The UN announces a truce between warring
factions one day and the next we hear it’s
been broken," said WWF’s Marc Languy
who is working in the national park.
"All we want is return of peace for
the security of its people and wildlife.”
There are an estimated 700 wild mountain
gorillas remaining worldwide, with more
than half of them living in Virunga. Nine
gorillas living in the troubled park have
been killed this year.
Due to the fighting, the United Nations
is anticipating some displacement of local
people and may open up sites next to the
southern tip of Virunga National Park between
Goma and Sake.
ICCN and WWF are working with the UN, providing
maps of the parks boundaries to help ensure
that the displaced people do not encroach
into the park as was the case in 1994.
Joanna Benn, Communications Manager
WWF Global Species Programme
Olivier van Bogaert, Senior Media Relations
Officer
WWF International
