RWANDA BABY GORILLA RESCUED FROM POACHERS
Rwandan authorities have rescued a baby gorilla from poachers who bought the gorilla for $15,000 from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The female gorilla, believed to be less than one-year old, was in the hands of a group of Rwandan and Congolese men when they were met with authorities. The smugglers have since been arrested and an investigation is currently underway.
The baby gorilla is named Ihirwe, which means luck in the African language of Kinyarwanda,
The poachers are currently being held in police custody in Rwanda as the baby gorilla is being treated. Caretakers estimate that the frightened animal will go through a 30-day "quarantine period" and return to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where she will join other orphaned gorillas.
"We are cautiously optimistic for this little one – she is tense, but accepting of people, and is eating. All good signs for her eventual recovery,” said veterinarian.
These sorts of gorilla kidnappings are certainly not new. Just last month, Rwanda returned six orphaned gorillas to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Poachers generally capture baby gorillas to sell as exotic pets or to consume as a type of delicacy.
There are only 680 wild mountain gorillas left in the world, all in central Africa. Poaching has been one of the factors that have led to this steep decline, and so the Rwandan government has stepped up its efforts to stop gorilla trafficking.
These sorts of gorilla kidnappings are certainly not new. Just last month, Rwanda returned six orphaned gorillas to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Poachers generally capture baby gorillas to sell as exotic pets or to consume as a type of delicacy.
There are only 680 wild mountain gorillas left in the world, all in central Africa. Poaching has been one of the factors that have led to this steep decline, and so the Rwandan government has stepped up its efforts to stop gorilla trafficking.
Estherr
info@wildugandasafaris.com
www.wildugandasafaris.com
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