This came out yesterday on the BBC. The Rangers found the remains of the missing adult female from the Rugendo family, as you can see on Paulin’s blog.
Here is a video of the Rugendo family of Mountain Gorillas that was shot recently at Bukima. Enjoy!
Yesterday Focus Magazine in Germany published a long story about Virunga National Park, Congo Rangers and Mountain Gorillas. The story was written by Sebastian who visited me in early May with my boss Christophe from FZS. I wrote a post about it back then. Go to the link below and you will see the full story. http://www.focus.de/wissen/wissenschaft/natur/tid-6786/berggorillas_aid_65963.html
Since my last post about donations on 15th March and until 31st May, I have received the following: Open donations: $3,703.76 Salary Bonuses - 12 Patrol Rations - 12 Uniforms for Rangers - 7 Patrol Boots - 5 First aid kits - 6 The uniforms and boots are on order from South Africa. I have donations for 19 sets of uniforms and 41 pairs of boots now since I started the blog. I have ordered 50 sets of uniform and 100 pairs of boots from Manchester Outfitters in Nairobi and will make up the difference from the open donations. It is worth ordering in bulk because of the logistics of getting the uniforms to Congo. They have to be flown in ideally because the border crossings can be complicated when you have this kind of equipment. Basically the uniforms look like military uniforms - it is the badge of ICCN that differentiates them - but customs can be complicated because of this. The patrol rations and salary bonuses are used each month to contribute to the support of the Advance Force of Rangers, who are 49 men in total. The first aid kits are locally acquired, so that is easy. We provide first aid kits each time the Rangers go on patrol. In June Chris A also made a $2,000 donation for the Rangers, following the attack of the gorilla sector in the north of Virunga park. Thank you Chris for your amazing generosity, as always. And thank you to each and every one of you who reads my blog, comments on my blog, and makes donations. It makes the world of difference to have this kind of support both for me and for the Rangers of the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature.
This story on Global Voices Online has just come to my attention… it has been a busy time so I don’t get to see everything in the press. Ndesanjo Macha wrote a great story about how the Rangers in Congo are blogging from Virunga National Park about their work to protect the mountain gorillas, hippos, elephants and other wildlife that is gradually returning after the country’s civil war. Thank you Ndesanjo. Click on the picture below and you will see the whole story.
I am just in the UK on holiday visiting friends and family. I will be back in Congo next week. Rob
There has been a lot of press coverage of the killing of Rubiga 10 days ago. Here is an article in the Daily Mail that generated a lot of comment. Click on the picture below and you will access it. To find out more about what is going on please go to Paulin’s blog.
Here are the receipts of the medicine we provided to the Southern Sector Headquarters of Virunga National Park, Rumagabo. I mentioned this on my post of 17th of May. The medicine was given to the nurse at the infirmary. This medicine will be used not only for the Rangers, but also for their families. Thank you very very much for your generosity.
I was sent the link below last week by friends of mine. This was done by a photographer, Georgina, who came to Congo a couple of months ago. We spent time with her up at Camp Karema with Augustin., right when we were just starting up there. Augustin as you know is the head of the patrol post at Bukima, and has been leading the patrols today and yesterday to identify the individuals of the Kabirizi family. I am sure you have all been following the atrocious events on Paulin’s blog - of the killing of Rubiga and the orphan Ndakasi. It has been a really hectic few days and I am reeling somewhat. I know Paulin will be updating his blog later on today, but I just wanted to say thank you for all the support I have received over recent days in relation to this brutal slaying. Thank you also for the donations.
The Mai Mai rebel situation in the north of Virunga is still tenuous. This is the situation: Ishango, on the northern shores of Lake Edward, has been reinforced with more rangers to help Atamato. More rangers have also been deployed to Tshiaberimu, where the attack took place. NGOs, including The Gorilla Organisation, WWF and WildlifeDirect, are coordinating emergency action to help the wounded and finance the additional ranger deployment. Norbert Mushenzi, the Director of the northern sector of Virunga for ICCN (the state entity that controls the parks) has been meeting with the Mai Mai, the Congolese army, and the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo to find a solution to this mess. A good solution would be for the Mai Mai to integrate into the Congolese army. This needs to be done. As long as they continue to sit in Muramba illegally, just a stone’s throw from Ishango and the last remaining hippos in the lake, this will be a huge threat. Political pressure is key. The Mai Mai have political support in Kinshasa too, among members of parliament. They must be pressured into ceasing the financing of armed activities in the parks of this country. The rebels are not seeking the destruction of the park out of necessity, but out of a desire for short term financial gain. This situation must be addressed urgently. |
|
