Back in September, for National Wildlife Day, I wrote about animals on my mind. Among them were the mountain gorillas in the Virunga National Park.
They’re on my mind again today because last night on 60 Minutes Anderson Cooper did a report called “Gorillas: Kings of Congo.” The gorillas have never before been in as much danger as they are now.
Yes, since I wrote about them just three months ago, their situation has gotten even worse. The rangers responsible for protecting the gorillas and the park have been completely driven out. The land where the gorillas roam has fallen completely to the rebels.
And you know the nine gorillas that were slaughtered last year and that prompted me to write about them for National Wildlife Day? I learned last night that they truly were executed. I think the first time I wrote about that I didn’t understand how intentional it was. I thought it was a consequence of cross-fire between warring factions.
But their lives were taken very intentionally indeed –to send a message in fact. The forest they call home is also a source of fuel to the people in the villages below. They burn the trees to harvest charcoal, which they use for cooking. That’s also part of the park rangers’ job, to stop the charcoal makers from harvesting ancient trees.
The gorillas were slaughtered to send a message: we can kill them all if you don’t back off, so…back off!
Well, the rangers didn’t at first, but now they’ve sort of had to. They weren’t left much choice. They’ve endured rebel attacks at night at their stations where they’ve been assaulted by heavy artillery. Rebels do it to procure their weapons.
Good grief. I can imagine a world without guerrillas, but I sure can’t imagine one without gorillas. If things don’t change in that part of the world, there are powers that be that could very well make a gorilla-less world a reality though.
Not that I’ve ever seen a gorilla in the wild, but I’d like to have that opportunity someday. It breaks my heart more than I have words to convey that such magnificent creatures are in such peril.
But I’m believing with my all my heart and soul that good will ultimately prevail and the gorillas will be spared and allowed to live in peace once more.
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