Thursday 26 July 2007

The bodies were discovered in the southern sector of the park by rangers from the Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN), the DRC's wildlife and protected areas authority. All four mountain gorillas were shot, but it is unclear who killed them and why.

Just over 700 mountain gorillas survive in the wild today, and none exist in captivity. For such a small population the unnecessary and indiscriminate killing of four mountain gorillas is a huge loss.

The gorillas belonged to the Rugendo group that lived in an area often visited by tourists - providing valuable economic benefits for local communities.

The male silverback was an alpha male. Alpha males fulfil a leadership role within a group, and in their absence, the integrity of the group is often compromised. Before the killings the Rugendo group comprised 12 individuals. Six are confirmed as safe, but two gorillas, a female and an infant, are missing.

ICCN patrols have been increased within the southern sector of the park with support from the DRC army. Guard posts are being constructed to provide 24-hour surveillance of the park.

"Just two months ago, we celebrated the increase of the gorilla population in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda," said Dr WWF's Kwame Koranteng. "Seven gorillas killed in seven months is a horrifying statistic and a trend that cannot continue," he added.

Chief Executive of Fauna & Flora International, Mark Rose, said: "We are deeply concerned about this incident which follows more than 20 years of successful collaboration for mountain gorilla conservation. Whatever the motive underlying this tragedy, the gorillas are helpless pawns in a feud between individuals."

Earlier this year two silverback male gorillas were shot dead in the same area of the park. The perpetrators were believed to be supporters of Laurent Nkunda, leader of a rebel faction in the DRC. The skin of one of the dead gorillas was recovered from a latrine in a nearby rebel camp. In May, a female gorilla was shot dead in the same park. Her infant is now being hand reared by the ICCN in Goma, DRC.

Post-mortem examinations on the four gorillas are being carried out. The bodies will be buried near Bukima, an outpost within the park.

The International Gorilla Conservation Programme is a partnership between Fauna & Flora International, WWF, the African Wildlife Foundation and the protected area authorities in Rwanda, Uganda and the DRC, which works to conserve the threatened mountain gorillas and their forest habitat.