Killings of mountain gorillas in Congo prompt U.N. probe

[Greylyn58]

Source: CNN

CNN) -- The shooting deaths of four mountain gorillas -- three females and an alpha male silverback -- are prompting a United Nations agency to send a mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Rangers made the gruesome find in the southern sector of Virunga National Park earlier this week, said Flora and Fauna International, an organization that acts to conserve threatened species and ecosystems. The group said it is unclear who shot the gorillas or why.

"Just over 700 mountain gorillas survive in the wild today, and none exist in captivity," Flora and Fauna International said in a statement. "For such a small population, the unnecessary and indiscriminate killing of four mountain gorillas is a huge loss."

--snip--

The females, named Safari, Neeza and Mburanumwe, and the male, Rugendo, were shot Sunday night, UNESCO said. They belonged to a group that was frequently visited by tourists, providing an economic boon to the area. "The situation threatens to become an ecological and economic disaster for the neighboring local communities," the agency said in a statement.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/07/27/congo.gorillas/index.html

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This is just horrifying, especially the picture that is with the article. I can't stop the tears from coming over the loss of these beautiful creatures. :cry:

Humans are such a plague on this planet sometimes. We just take, take, take.

Damn!!!

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

1. This is as heartbreaking story as I've read today. The beautiful birds, animals and other wildlife

creatures are paying a high price for our greed.

:cry: MKJ

[Greylyn58]

2. Indeed they are. n/t

[zonkers]

3. We need an international animal rights law enforcement agency with teeth, before its too late.

Stories like this are so sad.

[Greylyn58]

4. I totally agree.

Every time I read or hear about another loss of animal life, especially in a group of animals that are so critically endangered, it just turns my stomach. We need animal laws in this country and around the world that make the people who do these killings think twice. Right now most laws amount to just a slap on the wrist.

There should be real consequences against the perpetrators.

[peacebuzzard]

5. very sad indeed.

[Greylyn58]

6. Yes it is. n/t

:cry:

[gulliver]

7. This is why we need international institutions.

People throughout the world care about the gorillas. They are world treasures. There should be some way to protect them. If we had decent international institutions, then world-shared assets within nations could be specifically protected by international law and budgeted forces. It is awful watching a one-of-a-kind treasure at the tender mercies of a podunk, underfunded national government.

We have military forces and $1 trillion to waste in Iraq (to get less than nothing), but we can't stop genocide in Darfur, malaria, or forestall the extinction of a one-of-a-kind major species. We are such fools.

[Greylyn58]

8. Too Right !

It's absolutely sinfull.

[Big Pappa]

9. Well I guess

they should put some mountain gorillas in Darfur. Maybe then we could get some UN action there as well.

[Greylyn58]

10. Kick ....

[Maestro]

11. I read about this two days ago at National Geographic.

It's horrible and not the only time this has happened. Park Rangers are being threatened and the few remaining Silverbacks murdered because militias want to disrupt the area with mining operations for charcoal.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/07/070723-gorillas-killed.html

[Greylyn58]

12. This is just so horrifying...n/t