Two men who are suspected of running a baby mountain gorilla trafficking ring have been arrested in Goma, the capital of Democratic Republic of Congo’s Kivu Nord province, conservation activists said.
The two have been charged with illegal trafficking of an endangered species, according to the Congolese ICCN conservation group.
Authorities believe the criminal outfit captures baby gorillas in the iconic Virunga National Park, which is part of the Virunga Massif that straddles DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda, and then smuggles the rare mammals into Rwanda to be sold.
“The arrests were the result of a coordinated effort by Rwanda and DR Congo law enforcement authorities,” Virunga National Park director Emmanuel de Merode said.
“While we are pleased to have brought this group of traffickers to justice, we remain very worried by what appears to be a significant and growing demand for baby mountain gorillas” he added.
A sizable population of the world’s remaining mountain gorilla inhabits the Virunga massif, which includes three adjacent national parks in Rwanda (Volcanoes National Park), the Democratic Republic of Congo (Virunga National Park) and Uganda (Mgahinga Gorilla National Park). The other population inhabits Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Mountain gorillas, who have fallen prey to conflict and poaching over the years, were famously brought to the world’s attention by the late Dian Fossey and are one of the region’s main tourist attractions.
