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Gorillas returned to Congo after poaching
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(Reuters file)
Rwandan government officials have returned six orphaned baby gorillas to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after various foiled poaching attempts by suspected Rwandan and Congolese poachers.
The six mountain gorillas, aged between 5-8 years, were smuggled out of DRC and into Rwanda. They were then to be sold to unknown buyers.
Authorities believe the gorillas parents were killed in the process.
The gorillas were rescued from traffickers in various parts of Rwanda by authorities as a result of a conservation collaboration between the two neighbouring countries.
The six gorillas were treated by veterinary doctors and flown away to the new Grace Gorillas Rescue Centre. There they will be introduced to other rescued gorillas and prepared for eventual release in to the wild.
"All these animals have been poached and we wanted them to be a cohesive group and to learn normal behaviour," said the Director of Mountain Gorillas Virunga Project, Mike Cranfield.
"These gorillas were rescued because poaching is still an issue in the region," said the Director General of tourism and parks in Rwanda, Rica Rugambwa.
Six Rwandan and Congolese men are being held in custody over the incidents, but officials believe they are part of a larger criminal ring.
Gorillas are often caught, trafficked and sold for thousands of dollars on the world market as exotic pets - others are killed and sold locally as "bush meat".
The Congolese government vowed to step up the protection of gorillas after they received the primates.
"We came to finish the war and security is coming slowly, while we receive these mountain gorillas we will try to protect them properly," said the Congolese Minister of environment and tourism, Chantal Kambibi.
According to a statement by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) last year, around 680 mountain gorillas remain in the wild. They are one of the world's most endangered apes.
Congo's gorillas have weathered years of warfare in the east and more than 150 rangers have been killed trying to protect the area's five national parks from poachers.
A 2010 UN-backed report said gorillas may become near-extinct in Africa's Greater Congo Basin by the mid-2020s unless action is taken to stop poaching and protect their habitat.
The six mountain gorillas, aged between 5-8 years, were smuggled out of DRC and into Rwanda. They were then to be sold to unknown buyers.
Authorities believe the gorillas parents were killed in the process.
The gorillas were rescued from traffickers in various parts of Rwanda by authorities as a result of a conservation collaboration between the two neighbouring countries.
The six gorillas were treated by veterinary doctors and flown away to the new Grace Gorillas Rescue Centre. There they will be introduced to other rescued gorillas and prepared for eventual release in to the wild.
"All these animals have been poached and we wanted them to be a cohesive group and to learn normal behaviour," said the Director of Mountain Gorillas Virunga Project, Mike Cranfield.
"These gorillas were rescued because poaching is still an issue in the region," said the Director General of tourism and parks in Rwanda, Rica Rugambwa.
Six Rwandan and Congolese men are being held in custody over the incidents, but officials believe they are part of a larger criminal ring.
Gorillas are often caught, trafficked and sold for thousands of dollars on the world market as exotic pets - others are killed and sold locally as "bush meat".
The Congolese government vowed to step up the protection of gorillas after they received the primates.
"We came to finish the war and security is coming slowly, while we receive these mountain gorillas we will try to protect them properly," said the Congolese Minister of environment and tourism, Chantal Kambibi.
According to a statement by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) last year, around 680 mountain gorillas remain in the wild. They are one of the world's most endangered apes.
Congo's gorillas have weathered years of warfare in the east and more than 150 rangers have been killed trying to protect the area's five national parks from poachers.
A 2010 UN-backed report said gorillas may become near-extinct in Africa's Greater Congo Basin by the mid-2020s unless action is taken to stop poaching and protect their habitat.
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