6 National Park Rangers Killed at Congo Gorilla Sanctuary
An armed militia group staged the deadly attack in Africa’s oldest national park, that protects over 1,000 endangered mountain gorillas and thousands of other wildlife.
The Virunga national park is home to over 1,000 endangered mountain gorillas.
The conservation world is mourning the loss of six heroic national park rangers who were tragically killed whilst protecting the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Armed fighters who carried out the deadly attack are said to be from a militia group battling for control over natural resources.
The park is home to many animals including over 1,000 endangered mountain gorillas, and employs 700 rangers to keep the animals and visitors safe.
But tragically, Virunga National Park has a “reputation as one of the most dangerous conservation projects in the world” according to The Guardian, due to multiple threats that include illegal charcoal production, and smuggling and poaching.
Just last year, twelve park rangers were among 17 people killed in an ambush at the park.
Rangers around the world play an integral role in the protection of animals from criminals and poachers in the illegal wildlife trade.
The all-female Akashinga group started operations in Zimbabwe’s Lower Zambezi River, home to one of the largest elephant populations left in the world. Within two years, they had made nearly 200 arrests, and helped drive elephant poaching down by 80 percent.
But tragic attacks like those in Virunga National Park are the latest reminder of just how dangerous conservation has become.
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