Jul 27 2007
A strategy for saving the gorillas
It’s been an extremely difficult week. We’ve had the worst disaster in 30 years, but there are still many gorillas left in Mikeno that need to be protected. The plan is to massively intensify protection. We are going to intensify surveillance, both within the park and along the boundary. Five patrols will each be walking the length of the boundary every day, making it impossible for anyone to enter the area unseen. In addition, small teams of rangers will be staying with each family of gorillas, maintaining a constant watch.
This approach is extremely intensive, and unfortunately depletes other parts of the park of their rangers, but given the crisis, we will have to maintain it for at least three months. The approach is also extremely expensive (maintaing 33 rangers on operations will cost close to $5000/month), and your donations have played a huge role in making it possible (we can fund this operation for about 3 months). We’re extremely grateful for that help.
Like I said, this approach means that we have to take rangers away from other parts of the park and makes these areas vulnerable to poachers. So the strategy has to be short-term. The long-term solution is to create a highly trained, highly disciplined and well equipped “Gorilla Protection Unit” of 50 rangers that will be based in the gorilla sector. We will start right away and fund-raise for this unit in the hope of having it in place by the end of October.
Daily news from the conservation frontline by Innocent and Diddy, and other Congolese rangers risking their lives to save mountain gorillas of the Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
aren’t you getting any help from your government or any other country? what about all the conservation NGO’s operating in the Congo? I have been reading articles all over the place, some claiming that some very well-known conservation organizations ( i won’t name them here) are helping with your effort. are you all on your own again?
sorry to pester you at this time, but i’m concerned about the news that has been reported in various places and whether it is true or not-
i picked up this off of MSNBC.com - a direct quote cut and pasted from the article-
“The conservation group said the Congo government has pledged to bolster park rangers patrolling the area and that guard posts are being built to provide 24-hour surveillance of the park.”
and this from Africa Wildlife Foundation website from one of their articles - a direct quote -
“The International Gorilla Conservation Program (IGCP) is presently engaged in emergency talks with wildlife authorities and conservation groups in Goma to coordinate and support conservation efforts. Efforts are already underway to intensify patrols within the park, to solicit support of the national army to provide security to the ICCN rangers, and to seek political support from the Provincial Governor. These security initiatives will focus on all the habituated gorilla groups in the Mikeno Sector.”
OK, so how come you have to pull Rangers from other areas of the Park if you are getting outside support?
or is all the talk about cooperation for you all just a newsbite?
i also saw another article, can’t find it again yet that said the “Army” was giong to be helping somehow. do you have any extra manpower showing up?
where’s the national army and ICCN support personnel for helping with your security? where IS your political support?
i’ts amazing the work you Rangers do under conditions like this….
Paulin I think your strategy sounds excellent given the resources that you have. I hope you get the support you need, both from the outside world and your fellow countrymen. It seems to me that IMMEDIATE action is required. These gorillas MUST be protected. And I should like to know what IGCP are doing exactly on the enormous budget that they have? Apparently not a lot. I support and admire your courage Paulin. This is a far from ideal world, and I cannot image the tense conditions under which you are working. But action needs to be taken. Now.
I have been to Congo. God help the gorillas if the national army get involved. They are a totally undisciplined bunch.
I can’t believe that either the government or the army will be of any assistance. Gorilla protection is not what governments or armies are suited for. I’ll put my faith, and my money, in people like Paulin. What I’d like to know is this: who is killing these gorillas? It has to be a small group of individuals, and certainly the local people know who they are. To me, that’s the key. Most local citizens are going to be with you on gorilla protection.
I think the details of you plans should be kept secret. You are in my prayers.
I hope your strategy is successful, Paulin. But, like Ann and others, I wonder where all the NGOs are and why the heck hasn’t your government stepped in to help? I surely wish my government would help.
s.
Pardon the double post. In addition to the sources Ann cited, CNN has picked up the story: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/07/27/congo.gorillas/index.html
There are photos of the dead members of the Rugendo family. It’s hard to look at but I think we owe it to them to look.
CNN reports that UNESCO is sending “a mission” to the site of the killings ASAP “to provide support to those fighting to preserve the integrity of Virunga National Park.”
If you search Google news you’ll find more than 50 stories related to this nightmare. Word is getting out and that’s a very good thing.
Paulin, I hope UNESCO isn’t blowing smoke and will send you help soon. In the meantime, I’m going to dash off a note to my House Representative who’s very big on wildlife conservation.
s.
Um, triple post - my apologies.
E-mail address for the U.S. embassy in Kinshasa: USEmbassyKinshasa@state.gov
s.
My condolences. Would it be helpful to do something in the surrounding area to wean people from charcoal? See http://www.solarcookers.org for a project that provides 3rd world countries with an alternative to deforestation, etc. These cookers are also easy to make on one’s own. My heart goes out to you…
WOW, this has brought tears to my eyes. I LOVE gorrillas and to see the pictures and hear what has happened makes me very sad and angry. I would LOVE to be able to help in any way possible. One day i plan on visiting the congo with my family. My first question is who would do this to these awesome animals and secondly WHY??? What were these gorrillas doing? Living in their homes, thats it, just like you and I do everyday and night. How would these people like it if we came in to their homes and killed them? Sorry I am just very passionate about gorillas and i just wish everyone had the same passion about animals and gorillas.
Thank you for all that you do to help the gorillas. I am always amazed at how heartless humans can be and ashamed to be part of this race at these times. However, it is affirming to know that not ALL people are like this and that there are still some that care and will make a difference. I sincerely hope that we can protect these beautiful animals before it is too late. Keep up your amazing work and thank you from all of us that are so far away. We really are grateful.
If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to the man. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth.
Chief Seattle of the Suwamish Tribe
I was so sadden to hear this awful news. My heart and prayers go out to you. There are no easy answers to this kind of nightmare. I agree with SWilliams about trying to find another fuel source as a way to help. I sincerely hope you have enough officers to protect the remaining 680 gorillas. And that you get the help you need.
[…] most of you would have been seen from Paulin’s blog, a strategy is being put into place to protect the remaining gorillas. This will involve constant patrolling of […]
I’m afraid to say that this type of armed poaching against wildlife that is unable to protect itself can only be countered with the same reaction. Gun them down…use those flashy AK47s and shoot them right back. I had the immense satisfaction of being involved in exactly that against gangs that were decimating entire populations of elephants. Might sound a bit draconian, but it reversed the situation here in Kenya and the policy is still applied as necessary. If we tolerate armed bandits killing wildlfe with a softly softly approach, then we give them sufficient leeway to escalate their activities until they start to hit people and there’s no better way to sabotage a country’s revenue like nailing a few tourists. Get ‘em before they kill more gorillas and we can truss them to poles and porter them into the graveyard! Sends a powerful message…