Killings of mountain gorillas in Congo prompt U.N. probe

[Greylyn58]

Source: CNN

CNN) -- The shooting deaths of four mountain gorillas -- three females and an alpha male silverback -- are prompting a United Nations agency to send a mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Rangers made the gruesome find in the southern sector of Virunga National Park earlier this week, said Flora and Fauna International, an organization that acts to conserve threatened species and ecosystems. The group said it is unclear who shot the gorillas or why.

"Just over 700 mountain gorillas survive in the wild today, and none exist in captivity," Flora and Fauna International said in a statement. "For such a small population, the unnecessary and indiscriminate killing of four mountain gorillas is a huge loss."

--snip--

The females, named Safari, Neeza and Mburanumwe, and the male, Rugendo, were shot Sunday night, UNESCO said. They belonged to a group that was frequently visited by tourists, providing an economic boon to the area. "The situation threatens to become an ecological and economic disaster for the neighboring local communities," the agency said in a statement.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/07/27/congo.gorillas/index.html

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This is just horrifying, especially the picture that is with the article. I can't stop the tears from coming over the loss of these beautiful creatures. :cry:

Humans are such a plague on this planet sometimes. We just take, take, take.

Damn!!!