Gorillas At Risk

In the Virunga Mountains of Zaïre in Africa, a 400-pound mountain gorilla named Ndungutse quietly munches a fistful of leaves. Nearby, his family members swing from vines and look for food. Ndungutse (En-doon-goot-say) and his family seem happily unaware that danger lurks just a few miles away.

Four adult gorillas, including two of Ndungutse's brothers, have been killed in the past two months. Three of the gorillas were shot in the heart.

Who Killed The Gorillas?
No one knows who killed the gorillas, or why. But animal-conservation experts are worried that more will die. There are only 600 mountain gorillas in the entire world. Half live in Ndungutse's home, the Virunga National Park, and a park next door in Rwanda. (The other 300 live in neighboring Uganda.) Virunga has sheltered apes, elephants, giraffes and other animals for 70 years. But recently the park has become less safe, as thousands of people made homeless by war have traveled and camped near its forests.

The Virunga Mountains rise above the borders of Zaïre, Rwanda and Uganda. A year ago, a terrible civil war in Rwanda ended. At least 500,000 people had been killed, and thousands more had been forced to flee the country. The Virunga Mountains were an escape route for many of them.

Now 750,000 refugees are camped near the Virunga park. They are homeless and afraid, and many of them have guns. These guns may have been responsible for the four gorilla deaths.

A Threat To The Forests
But guns are not the biggest threat to the animals. In 12 months, the refugees have cut down 8,150 acres of forest for firewood. They are destroying not only the gorillas' home but also their food. Half of the Virungas' bamboo forest has been cut. "This is a critical time for the gorilla population," says Katie Frohardt, the head of a gorilla-conservation group. She is concerned that the damage to the forests will grow worse.

The government of Zaïre has told the refugees they must leave by the end of the year. But many are afraid to go home, even though the war is over. They do not understand why some people seem to worry more about gorillas than human beings.

"Everything is always blamed on us," says Jean Baptiste Sibomana, the head of a refugee camp. The refugees will have a hard time recovering from their horrible war. But the gorillas may never recover.

Did You Know?

• Gorillas like to eat leaves, bark and fruit. They eat meat only when humans feed it to them.
• Gorillas use more than 20 different sounds to communicate. A few have been taught to use sign language!
• Gorillas have a daily routine. They get up early and eat breakfast. In the afternoon they play, rest, look for food and eat. Each evening they build a nest to sleep in.
• Gorillas travel in groups and live in forests. They never spend more than one night in the same place.
• Gorillas would never attack a human being unless they felt threatened. They are shy, peaceful animals.