Virunga National Park, paradise and hell, endangered mountain gorillas vs poaching and English oil company

Hi Steemit world, today i will tell you the story of one of the most beautiful place in the world, the Virunga National Park in Congo (DRC), the oldest park in Africa.

Important date

The story begin in April 1925, creation of the park who's named Park of prince Albert in North Kivu, DRC.
In april 1979, the park is classified as a world heritage of UNESCO.
In 2008, Emmanuel de Merode, member of the Belgian princely family , anthroplogist and primatologist, becomes director of the park, under the aegis of the ICCN (institut congolais pour la conservation de la nature).
Since 1999, more than 150 park rangers died defending the park.

The mountain gorillas

Though there is a lot of different and fantastic animals in this park, the most important species is the mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei ) family of Great Ape, who are in critical danger of extinction because of poaching, illegal deforestation, illegal mining activities and decades of civil war.

It left only 880 mountain gorillas in all the region, included the Virunga national Park, in DRC, the Volcano national park, in Rwanda and in Ouganda ( impenetrable forest of Bwindi and Mgahinga National Park ).
In 2007, 9 gorillas were killed by poachers/rebels in PNVI (parc national des Virungas)... It was a sad and hard discover for the people who protect the park and gorillas.

My trip

So i went to this park in july 2015 to meet people who works there, discover the region and the mountain gorillas.

I saw the gorillas in the senkwekwe center, a rescue center in Rumangabo, where there are 4 orphans gorillas; Ndeze, Maisha, ndakazi and matabishi (and since 3 days there is now a 5th gorilla in the center, who has left his foot because of a snare trap).

You can't imagine how gentle are these ape and how many you can see in their eyes. After have playing with Maisha, she trapped me by handing me a leek! The scoundrel!! But what beautiful scoundrel, she took my hand and during 5 seconds, all the world has turned all around me...

I also have meet André Bauma, a gorilla doctor and caretaker in Senkwekwe center, one of the most fantastic and gentle person i have ever seen. Former park ranger, he's now all days with the orphan gorillas to give them love and help them to growth in the hope of reintroducing them into the wild but it is a long and hard work.

The region is also known for its volcanoes and fantastic forest, indeed you can see this wonderful landscape all the way from the city of Goma to Rumangabo, H.Q. of the park and tourist resort.
This region is of unnamed beauty and every time, when you walk on the station, when you go to lunch, you see all around a lot of different monkeys which swings in the trees and come from time to time to grab a few pieces of fruit.
There is also a little number (300) of forest elephant who are also in critical danger of extinction.

Illegals activities, poaching, war and oil company

Unfortunately, this region is experiencing troubles since long decades.... Civil war and illegal activities have brought poverty and misery, (Particularly since the Rwandan genocide).
6 millions of congolese died during this period of war.
In 2010, after a short period of calm, oil is discover under the lake Edwards in PNVI.

SOCO, an english oil company, in spite of the laws of UNESCO and DRC, decides to explore the soil of PNVI. Although everything is done to stop their action, they do not shrink from anything and try to corrupt many people by all means.
In 2012, instability returns, and the m23, a rebel group decides to attack eastern Congo. At the same time SOCO always tries to corrupt and silence the defenders of the park.

After 2 years of war in eastern Congo and an arrangement between the states of Congo and the rebels of m23, war stops.
In April 2014, Emmanuel de Merode is attacked by gunmen with AK 47, just after filing a report on SOCO's activities to the congolese legal authorities.
Servely injured by 3 shots, he survives.
You can see the fantastic story of Virunga on Netflix, "Virunga" from Orlando von Einsiedel,

So now yo know what is the problem with aggravated capitalism and environment and conservation.
You can be sure this story is a little exemple of what happens in so many country in the world.

If you have the chance to go there, if you hesitate, one word; GO! Your life will never be the same.

"You must justify why you are on this earth, gorillas justify why i am here, c'est ça ma vie" André Bauma.

In memory of the park rangers killed by defending the park

Conservation is war.

Crédit photos: Virunga national park, Emmanuel de Mérode, National Geographic, Gorilla Doctors, Senkwekwe Center, Orlando von Einsiedel, Virunga the movie, Netflix, Erwin Gallan.