The political unrest in Congo has resulted in trouble for the wildlife themilitia has threatened to kill the rare mountain gorilla in the Virunga National Park.

The Mai Mai militia killed a wildlife officer and injured three others when they attacked the park this weekend in Congos trouble-torn North Kivu province.

The area they attacked is quite near to the isolated population of some 700 rare mountain gorillas, as per WildlifeDirect, the organization involved in conservation in Virunga.

Virunga’s Park Director Norbert Mushenzi admitted in a statement that the militia had indeed threatened to kill the gorillas.

He said

This was an unprovoked attack on our Rangers and other wildlife officers who protect Virunga’s wildlife. And the Mai Mai said that if we retaliate, they will kill all the gorillas in this area.

The militia initially took 13 workers hostage before releasing them.

What worries the conservationists that the Mai Mai militia has a poor track record of killing animals and last year, they slaughtered hundreds of hippos on the southern shores of Lake EdwardImage Posted by: Irani    Source

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