Famous mountain gorillas threatened by growing insecurity in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The presence of M23 rebels in the Virunga Park region represents a threat to this vulnerable species, site officials warned on Tuesday 20 December.

The semi-wild environment of the Senkwekwe Center provides a sanctuary that mimics the natural habitat of mountain gorillas.

Here, Matabishi, a blackback on the brink of maturity, leads his small family.⁠#virunga #adoptagorilla #christmasgift #mountaingorilla #supportus

— Virunga NationalPark (@gorillacd) December 14, 2022

"Currently, the mountain gorilla area is occupied by the rebels and this delicate security situation does not allow our teams to deploy there," Bienvenu Bwende, spokesman for the Virunga National Park, told AFP.

Movements, of both gorillas and humans, "are not controlled, which increases the risk of poaching, destruction of the ecosystem" and the spread of human-made diseases, he added.

If a gorilla falls ill, "he will not have medical follow-up" and, for baby gorillas, "there is above all the risk of falling into the traps of poachers", explained the spokesperson.

According to him, regular monitoring makes it possible to know where each family of gorillas is.

"When we lose track of them for a single day, it takes a week to find them, he says again. However, "several months of monitoring and follow-up" have just been lost. "Now imagine the time it takes will take to track them down and find out exactly where they are and in what condition!", worries Bienvenu Bwende.

A park used as a rear base by the rebels

The park published on Monday an inventory of the entire park, which covers 7,800 km2 in the province of North Kivu, on the border with Rwanda and Uganda.

It stretches over some 300 km in length, its average width being 23 km.

The mountain gorillas, which are in its southern part, could still be counted in September.

They were then 234, against 225 last year at the same time.

The oldest nature reserve in Africa, created in 1925, the Virunga Park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. Renowned for its wildlife and grandiose landscapes, it is also known to serve as a rear base for many groups. armed for over a quarter of a century.

Virunga National Park is a haven for an array of animals, including 44 endangered species that we help to protect.

This #WorldAnimalDay we are showing our appreciation for them, as well as the 1000+ species that inhabit the Park.#wildlifeconservation #biodiversity #species

— Virunga NationalPark (@gorillacd) October 4, 2022

The M23, a predominantly Tutsi armed group defeated in 2013, took up arms again at the end of last year and stepped up its offensive in October, seizing large swaths of territory north of Goma, capital of North Kivu. .

Rwanda is accused by Kinshasa, the United States and several European countries of supporting the M23.

With AFP

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