Virunga National Park Evacuated

We received an email yesterday from the WWF about the alarming events unfolding in Virunga National Park in D.R. Congo:

From: Sudhanshu Sarronwala
Date: 13 July, 2012 9:03:14 PM GMT+08:00
To: Nadya Hutagalung, Andy Earth Hour, Elaine Tan, Wee Ping Ping Tan
Subject: The terrible situation in Virunga – from Emmanuel del Merode, Park Warden, Virunga (and TEDxWWF speaker in Geneve)

Dear all, updates from Virunga National Park are now coming in multiple times a day via the park blog http://gorillacd.org/blog/. Some highlights from this week are below along with the latest information on habituated gorilla groups from IGCP. Additionally, the a new website has been launched with an emotional video appeal from the park rangers http://www.virungacrisis.org/.

“At around 8 AM on Sunday, the decision was made to evacuate the remaining 180 ranger families and staff from Rumangabo. While they packed up and loaded onto trucks, the staff in Goma kicked into full emergency mode to get a temporary camp ready on some open land west of Goma. This was logistically challenging but if you consider that none of the supplies could be purchased prior to the decision, and it was a Sunday, it’s quite amazing that the staff managed to pull it off and get the most crucial items purchased and delivered to the site, the grass cut on the field, and a latrine started. The most important issues involved providing water, sanitation, food, shelter, fuel and stoves for cooking, and security. We accomplished most of this for these first 180 people.”

“The evacuations of all the staff to the displacement camp in Goma went very well, with everyone both in Rumangabo and in Goma doing an extraordinary job.  The conditions in the new camp are very tough, with everyone living in terribly cramped conditions under tarpaulins, but they have safety, food and drinking water.  We’re enormously grateful for the support that you have given us so far.  It has become a lifeline.  The dog unit was also evacuated to Goma, but our orphan gorillas have had to stay with us in the park, because they’re difficult to transport safely and the risk of moving them outweighs that of keeping them with us in the park.”

“There is close to no movement on the roads although we have been able to get some fuel and supplies in from Goma.  The Monusco tanks have rolled back to their bases and the thousands of displaced people around our station have begun to trickle back to their homes.  For now, at least, the fighting has quietened down. We spend a couple of hours every day going through scenarios and contingencies.  The armed combat isn’t our biggest worry, it’s all the looting and civil unrest that comes with it.  That’s usually when people get hurt and things get destroyed.  Our station at Rwindi was looted on Sunday night. Hundreds of fleeing soldiers have entered to park and are stranded at Nyakakoma in the east of the park.  They’re armed and hungry, and that’s also where most of our elephants and other wildlife are concentrated.”

“We have to turn our attention to Goma.  There were minor riots yesterday, and one person was killed.  The rioters are simple, brutal and confused.  It began as a witch-hunt for ethnic minorities, then became ill defined political rally, and finally, as always, descended into mindless looting.  Our staff are safe, but there is a risk that the war in Rutshuru may spread south to Goma.”

Habituated Gorillas in Virunga National Park

Humba – 16 mtn. gorillas (all found in early June, but not since)

Munyaga – 7 mtn. gorillas (all found in early June, but not since)

Kabirizi – 33 mtn. gorillas (all found in early June, but not since)

Mukunda – lone silverback (found in early June, but not since)

Rugendo –  7 mtn. gorillas (Augustin Basabose had heard that members of the group were encountered by rangers in June, but this wasn’t reported publicly by Virunga National Park)

Mapuwa –  18 mtn. gorillas (found by a group of trackers in recent days – unknown if they accounted for all gorillas in the group)

Lulengo –  8 mtn. gorillas (signs believed to be of this group spotted in recent days)

–

Sudhanshu Sarronwala

Executive Director

Marketing & Communications
WWF International
1196 Gland, Switzerland