Virunga National Park

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6 Rangers Killed in Gorilla Park Ambush

A dozen of their colleagues were massacred in April

(Newser) - The mountain gorillas of Virunga National Park in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are endangered, as are the rangers tasked with protecting them. At least six rangers were killed in an ambush Sunday, less than nine months after a dozen rangers and five civilians were massacred, the New York ...

After Bloody Months, Africa's Oldest National Park Is Closed

Virunga national park needs to implement 'much more robust' safety measures

(Newser) - Park ranger may not be a deadly occupation in America; the same can't be said for the Democratic Republic of Congo. After the deaths of at least a dozen rangers in the country's Virunga national park over a span of just 10 months, the park will be closed...

Female Park Ranger Dead; 2 British Hikers Freed

Bethan Davies and Robert Jesty were ambushed in Democratic Republic of Congo

(Newser) - A pair of British hikers looking for adventure in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been freed after being kidnapped, but a 25-year-old park ranger is dead. British authorities said Sunday that Bethan Davies and Robert Jesty had been freed after gunmen ambushed their vehicle in Virunga National Park on...

For Congo's Pygmies, Pot Can Be a Life-or-Death Crop

'Because of selling this marijuana, our children can get some food'

(Newser) - In the impoverished Democratic Republic of the Congo, members of the indigenous people commonly referred to as Pygmies have turned to a surprising line of work: dealing pot. As National Geographic reports in an in-depth feature, the marijuana they cultivate illegally in the forest represents one of the few ways...

$40K Baby Gorilla Saved From Poachers

But experts worry about ones they miss

(Newser) - A baby gorilla has been saved from poachers seeking $40,000 for the highly protected infant. But experts worry about how many more infants have been stolen from parents likely butchered by animal traffickers, reports MSNBC . The baby gorilla, hidden in a small backpack, was "extremely tense and stressed,...

Imperiled African Gorilla Population Surges 26%

Efforts to decrease poaching and disease have helped

(Newser) - Finally, some good news for an endangered species: The mountain gorilla population in central Africa has swelled since 2003. The Virunga Massif, made up of three national parks, had only 380 gorillas seven years ago and is now up to 480. "This is a spectacular upsurge," says a...

'Charity App' Helps Gorillas
 'Charity App' Helps Gorillas 
May 18, 2010 2:06 AM CDT

'Charity App' Helps Gorillas

iGorilla lets users track Congo animals

(Newser) - A new application for iPhones and iPads lets users use their gadgets to help save Congo's critically endangered population of mountain gorillas. The iGorilla app makes it possible for users to follow gorilla families around remote areas of the war-torn country with updates from the rangers at Virunga National Park,...

Amid Congo's Violence, a Gorilla 'Baby Boom'

Population of tame gorillas up 12.5%

(Newser) - The Democratic Republic of Congo has seen unspeakable violence, but one population has managed to thrive: the endangered mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park. The population of gorillas considered tame grew to 81 from 72 over the past year, Bloomberg reports. The gorilla population has boomed even as rangers entrusted...

Congo's Gorillas Victims in War Over Charcoal

Corruption, poverty, unrest combine for conservationists' nightmare

(Newser) - Who murdered seven mountain gorillas in the Congo last year? Perhaps, National Geographic finds, the question should be how any of the magnificent apes stay alive at all. A three-way military standoff—a holdover from neighboring Rwanda’s haunted past—enveloping Virunga National Park has left gorillas, people, and the...

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