Congo Gorilla Habitat Threatened by Soldiers

In the Democratic Republic of Congo eastern lowland gorillas living in a national park are under threat.

Kahuzi-Bienga national park rangers say the animals are at risk as soldiers operating in the north and south Kivu provinces are encroaching on their territory.

At a news conference in Bukavu, the assistant director of the park said rangers have witnessed the wreckage themselves.

[Dieudonee Bodgi, Assistant Park Director]:
„What we, the guards and the locals, see happening at the moment is destruction.“  

Several families of gorillas live in the very wide park area located near the border between the two provinces. Their habitat is being destroyed as troops deployed in the area destroy flora and fauna when they chop wood for cooking fuel.

According to the Assistant Park Director, some of the animals have become accustomed to the soldiers’ presence, let down their guard and are later killed for meat.

[Dieudonee Bodgi, Assistant Park Director]:
„What we see now is that gorilla families — we have nine families of which three are really accustomed to tourists and tourism — that is to say they are coming closer and closer to the stations. For example, the Mugaruka family which is really close to the station and it is at that location that the (the soldiers) are doing this kind of burning.“

Congo allowed thousands of Rwandan soldiers into its violence-ravaged North Kivu province in January to take on the Rwandan Hutu rebel Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda based there.

(NTDTV)