Virunga - Africa’s oldest national park

My Scholarship entry - Virunga - Africa’s oldest national park

CONGO (KINSHASA) | Friday, 21 November 2014 | Views [263] | View Larger Image

Recently a UK oil company, Soco International, has begun prospecting for oil in Virunga. Discovery of oil in the region will undoubtedly have negative consequences for the survival of the mountain gorillas. Soco’s own environmental assessment report describes a likely increase in pollution, habitat damage and poaching to Virunga.

There are about 800 Mountain Gorillas left in the world, all of which reside in DRC, Rwanda and Uganda. Many are found amongst the imposing cloud-covered slopes of dormant volcanoes.

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Rangers patrol the park to protect the critically endangered gorillas. Despite having increased in population over the past years, many threats are still found in the lush forests of Virunga, ranging from rebel groups, local charcoal producers and both subsistence and commercial poachers who trade live gorillas. More than 140 Virunga rangers have lost their lives while protecting the park since the beginning of the war in 1996.

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Virunga - Africa’s oldest national park

My Scholarship entry - Virunga - Africa’s oldest national park

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