Dec 18 2007
Charcoal burning & $7,255 to go to reach $20K fuel wood target
When charcoal is made in the park, sparks often ignite other areas of the forest. This is a fire we had to put out.
Rangers find a kiln. The charcoal burners were about to put mud over it and burn it to make the charcoal.
Rangers destroy a kiln in Virunga National Park.
More wood from Virunga is turned into charcoal.
This is Innocent. We are continuing to patrol and make arrests of those making charcoal. These patrols will continue all week. They are being coordinated by Director Nestor, and we are all working together on this.
Thank you for your donations again yesterday. This brings the total for the fuel wood campaign since the appeal was launched on 12th December to $12,745. This is an incredible amount to have raised in just under a week. Thank you to everyone who has donated, and a special thanks to Happy Hollow Zoo. We know everyone works very very hard for their money.
December 17th Donations
One-time Donation - Robert H, $25.00, Michael W, $20.00, James D, $250.00, Jill L, $50.00, Karl W, $60.00, Happy H Corp, $4,000.00, Judith B, $150.00, Jennifer R, $20.00, Bahar D, $100.00, Maciej G, $70.00
Fuel Wood for Refugees - Sissi P, $100.00, Elizabeth P, $40.00, Kim R, $40.00, Sheryl B, $40.00, THERESA S, $100.00, carmen e, $40.00, Alireza M, $20.00, Gary C, $25.00
Total: $5,150.00
Elizabeth said: Gift donation to my friend Sheryl, who’s a wonderful gorilla-tarian.
Sheryl said: This is a holiday gift donation for my friend, Liz P, who has loved apes and monkeys her entire life.
Innocent
Technorati : charcoal, congo, drc, gorilla, iccn, wildlifedirect
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
This is great news, you’re getting there. Once you raise the $20,000 i am assuming more will still need to be raised all the while war is still continuing. Lets hope a peaceful end to this crisis can happen soon, that would be the best Christmas present i could ask for! Take care to all of you, please stay safe.
I hope the donations keep coming Innocent…be careful making those arrests I am sure that can be very dangerous……God bless!
Congratulations on a nice days’ work at stopping the charcoal mafia! I’m just blown away by all the donations in such a short period of time, too. Wow! Kudos to Happy Hollow Zoo for their generosity and continuing support of the rangers.
s.
Great job guys! Stay safe out there and keep us posted on all the great work you are doing to protect Virunga and the Mountain Gorillas. I am so pleased that the money is rolling in. This will help a great deal. Lisa
I will be sending in Pie Sale Monies after the first of the Year…I have over 100.00 to send but I want to really suck my recources dry here first…People are comming around slowly but surley on this. At first they were laughing but now a few have actully visited this site and now KNOW what a situation it is over there with the refugees and the gorillas…To be informed IS the best, to not try to understand and help is just plain selfish to me…To all have a Blessed Holiday whereever you all may be…I hope Gorillas grunt softly in all of your dreams…
Now to Our Rangers to whom all have shown us all their resiliance, faith and love for these Great Creatures of the Misty Mountains…And for the ones to whom you have lost.
My Eulogy to the Rangers…
Your Spirits are the Mists,
That keep the Mountians hidden.
Your Spirits are the Gentle Breezes,
Carrying your desperate warnings.
Your Spirits are the Gentle Rains,
That wash away their tracks.
Your Spirits are forever there deep within the forests,
To always to protect…..
Born of this Earth protect is what you all did,
And when the time came,
You gave your life so one did not end.
For this I hope one never forgets,
That quite simply this was not just the everyday protection of a animal,
Nothing else but pure undying love,
Love of a Gorilla….
Peace, Love and Big Gorilly Hugs to you all….Stephanie
Months ago, when the problem of war came into reality in the gorilla sector I insist in this blogs about the need to donate money for wood that was and is needed for fuel in the refugees camps around virunga national park and for the campaing that was leaded by WWF about this issue. I´m happy to see that now Wildlife Direct, months later, is also participating in this important matter and that is giving the priority that the situation required. I told you, months ago, with the expierence of many years in conservation, that this matter will be bassic in the conservation and protection of the mountain gorillas and their habitat. Also, months ago, I comment about the danger that ebola, this extremely dangerous and mortal infection, represent to the gorillas in the crowded situation that the refugees are due to the close-range of the camps and the gorilla sector. Now ebola has killed two-dozen people in Uganda, and the outbreak is far away for the momment from any mountain gorilla habitat, but the danger is so real that Rwanda is now in alert about this outbreak and is close monitoring the situation in order to take the necessary steps to protect their gorillas. I hope that ebola never reach mountain gorillas in any country, but as I said time ago, MONUC must take all preventive actions that are needed in the refugees camps to monitoring and detect any health problem that could affect the gorilla sector.
Hello, Innocent, Stephanie what a touching tribute to the fallen rangers, thank you for posting it. There is an article in todays WASHINGTON POST.COM about UN corruption in the Congo. I entered a comment under my username georgiasweetie. I gave a big plug to WLD so I hope it generates some interest and donations; sorry I can’t provide a link, as I’m computer illiterate! I sent an email today to BornFree USA to see if they would consider a link to WLD in their E-Letters. I’m also contact WWF and WSPA to include the Mountain Gorilla in their current email campaigns; both these groups have talked about bonobo and orangutan threats within the last 2 months. Remember to visit congress.org where our Save the Mountain Gorilla Campaign is underway. Just scroll down to the soap box section and then click on the alert; from there you can send a letter to your elected officials in Congress.IT’S free to do, but for an additional impact, you can booster your message to have it hand delivered for a small fee. Remember congress will be going on their holiday break shortly so now is the time to participate if you want the chance! Finally, there is an article posted on The World Conservation Society site about the Cross River Gorilla in Cameroon. These beautiful gorillas have observed to use crude weapons such as sticks and clumps of dirt to fend off their human attackers! Just breaks your heart…
http://gorilla.wildlifedirect.org/2007/12/18/charcoal-burning-7255-to-go-to-reach-20k-fuel-wood-target/
Just copy-and-paste the URL into this comment window. Very simple.
s.
WaPo story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/17/AR2007121701914.html
Congress.org: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/alert/?alertid=10680916&content_dir=ua_congressorg
s.
OK, this is TOO weird. From my office I posted links to the WaPo story and the congress.org thing and I saw that post. Now, I’m home on my Mac and it’s gone.
WaPo story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/17/AR2007121701914.html
congress.org: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/alert/?alertid=10680916&content_dir=ua_congressorg
GAH!
s.
Dear Rangers,
Thank you for yours I heroic and fantastic work. I hope when I arrive at Africa in março/2008 I can see the mountain gorillas of Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo. All of them healthy quite precious. Dian Fossey said: when we realize the value of all life, we insisted less on the things of the past and we concentrated more on the preservation of the future. I hope we are capable to preserve the future for our children. I don’t get to imagine me in a world where there are not more gorillas and all the magnificent diversity of the nature. I know that arrive day when any crime against animal it will be a crime against humanity. Leonardo Vinci said: when the man knows the intimate of an animal, any crime against an animal it will be a crime against the humanity. Thank you very much again. People like you are indispensable. It will be a honor to know the heroic rangers of DR Congo.
Thank you Theresa for your sensibility and efforts.
I don’t see the hour of seeing DR Congo and the World in peace
I want to share an idea with you. If you feed the refugees in the area fruits, then fruit trees will naturally grow and they don’t need to cook them. I don’t know how readily they’ll take to the idea or what foods are available, but if it happened, somebody would have to actively clear these fruit trees again.
Hey carmen/texas! Here’s the link to the Clinton Foundation’s contact page: http://www.clintonfoundation.org/contact-us.htm
I dunno if they support any work in DRC but it can’t hurt to ask.
s.
A story to gladden my heart - restores your faith in the human race! Let’s hope now the gorilla protection will get underway. Keep safe Innocent, Diddy and all you wonderful rangers. Best wishes to Paulin. God bless everyone and prayers for a peaceful 2008.
The BBC World News reported tonite that the DRC will hold a peace conference towards the end of this month aimed at ending the conflict in the east. It will take place in Goma and last 9 days. While I’m not ready to open the champagne yet, it’s definitely a step in the right direction…
Thanks THERESA, your news are wonderful. My heart is full of hope. Merry Christmas.
Please VOTE! NOAH’S WISH is a wonderful charity devoted to animals adversely affected by natural disasters. They are a rapid response team–it is all that they do. They did a tremendous job taking care of many animals who suffered at the hands of Katrina but their website gives more detail. They are in the running on SearchKindly and are tied at the moment for 1st place. It would be wonderful if they got our vote. I know everyone is busy at this time of the year but they perform a vital service and I’m hoping they win. THANKS!!
Here’s the BBC News story about the DRC peace talks, to which dissident general Laurent Nkunda is invited: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7150248.stm
Yesterday, AFP reported that the FARDC pushed back rebel troops and 19 were killed: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ge-G6Jmr61owb_878ws7cVFogYig
Here’s a really good editorial about the situation in DRC by Simon Tisdall of the Guardian (UK): http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/simon_tisdall/2007/12/mission_impossible.html
s.
Yes Cathy, Noah’s Wish did a lot to help with Katrina dog and cat victims and I wish them well! Did you guys know that many of the Michael Vick dogs went to BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY where they have a wonderful home forever if they are not adopted! Great work they do. Anyway, I’m in the process of sending FREE E-cards from WWF to all my friends and elected officials. If you go to WWF on their main page go to the explore headline and click on e cards. They have several gorilla cards that are so adorable! I chose one showing a mother gorilla and her precious baby.This is a great reminder to people how precious these animals are!
I have been voting for Noah’s Wish..wow did not know that Vick’s dogs went to that sanctuary…poor babies!! Nice to know they still have a chance!
Thanks Theresa and Annie. They need help! I called Noah’s Wish and told them to get the word out.
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