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Congo Battles Gorilla Pet Trade

World's only sanctuary for orphaned gorillas seeks to boost tourist numbers

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted May 28, 2009 8:19 AM CDT

(Newser) – Conservationists trying to save the Republic of Congo's gorillas are fighting to protect the primates from poachers and the pet trade, the Daily Telegraph reports. One foundation, which warns that the gorilla population will be half what it is now by 2020 at the current rate of extermination, has founded the world's only sanctuary for rescued gorillas in the jungles north of Brazzaville.

Caring for orphaned gorillas is tough work, the Belgian conservationists who run the reserve say. The animals are more emotionally sensitive than other big primates, and relocation often causes stress and depression. Numbers at the reserve are slowly growing, however, and some gorillas have been successfully reintroduced to the wild. The foundation is now upgrading its rough facilities in in the hopes of luring more tourists, whose dollars will pay for local education and conservation projects.

[Images (4)]

[Quotes (1)]

An orphaned baby gorilla recovers at a Congo reservev after it was saved from an animal trafficker who took it on a plane hidden in a bag. (AP Photo/Gorilla.cd)

A baby mountain gorilla is seen, in the Virunga National Park, near the Uganda border in eastern Congo. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

A mountain gorilla is seen in the Virunga National Park, near the Uganda border in eastern Congo. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

A baby gorilla is seen at the Virunga National Park, near the Ugandan border in eastern Congo. (AP Photo / Gorilla.cd ,ho)

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We are making an impact, but we know dozens are still being killed because we hear reports and sometimes see the meat. Often an entire gorilla family will be killed just to capture the baby. - Luc Mathot, a conservationist who runs a gorilla reserve

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COMMENTS

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Showing 2 of 2 comments

Rob

May 28, 2009 10:18 AM CDT

Gorillas are captured with wire snares. When baby gorillas are snared -- and baby ones are the only ones for the pet trade -- the adults try to defend them until the troop is decimated. Then the baby is taken away with wire cuts in its legs. Oh, what do the poachers do with the dead adults? They removed the heads for trophies and use the hands to make ashtrays. There is no consideration about keeping families together. Poachers are animals. I have seen terrible things because of poachers and they deserve every chance they give the animals they hunt.

Derni

May 28, 2009 1:34 AM CDT

As we adminre the geat apes and see our past when we gaze into their eyes-other less fortunate and poor peole see a means to make a living and feed themseleves-it is a crazy world we live in

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Telegraph (UK) (Source Grid »)

Foundation finds island reserve for rescued gorillas
Wildlife Extra

Rangers struggle to save mountain gorillas
Christian Science Monitor

World • Green

endangered species • Democratic Republic of Congo • gorilla • Western Lowland Gorilla • primates

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Congo Battles Gorilla Pet Trade