Poaching, Profit and Pain

Virunga National Park

Poaching since the 1600’s has increased greatly because of the growing world population. Since 2006, approximately 16,000 animal species were considered to be “threatened with extinction”. There is no doubt that poaching for the demand for food and other products has contributed to this destruction of animal species. Various species of animals are poached around the world. Their remains are used in various ways, often for luxury or medicinal purposes.

-Elephants: poached for their ivory tusks which have “great aesthetic value”. They are intimidated into traps or pitfalls and the tusks are painfully detached. The elephant is then left to die.

–Tigers: Their bones have medicinal value and powdered tiger bones are prescribed in for strengthening muscles. Their skin is used to make bags and coats.

–Rhinoceros: Their horns are believed to have aphrodisiac properties and are widely used in traditional medicines. Like elephants, they are driven into traps for their ivory horns.

–Tibetan Antelopes: They are poached for their fur, which is commonly used as a light wool, and is in great demand world-wide. 20,000 Chirus, as they are called, are killed each year.

–Sturgeon or Paddlefish: Often poached for their eggs to make caviar.

–Gorillas: Goriila poaching isn’t commonly heard about. They are poached for their meat, capture for collections, and trophies. Collectors and trophie holders are after gorilla hands, feet, skins, skulls, as well as infants.

–Porbeagle: The porbeagle is a type of shark that lives in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They are poached for their meat and fertilizer uses.

–Spiny Dogfish: This species of shark is valuable for its meat. They live in the world coastal waters ad usually travel in schools.

–Red and Pink Coral: This is the most valuable type of coral, known for its use in jewelry and decorations. Not only does the poaching of coral effect coral population but it also effects the population of coral reefs and fish.

–European Eel: They are poached because of their valuable meat and large international demand.

–Great Apes: Great apes include gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans. They are killed for their meat, illegal trade, disturbance and destruction of land, and disease and habitat control.

–Sea Turtles: Sea turtles are often poached for their meat and eggs. Poachers trick the turtles into nesting on the beach, while they are actually walking right into a trap.

–Blue Whale: Blue whales have almost been hunted to extension. They are poached for their blubber and oil, which are then used in candles and fuel.

Poaching occurs on every populated continent around the globe. Poaching occurs in more remote areas because of avoidance of laws and for the greater opportunity for business.

–Africa: elephants, rhinoceros, gorillas, seashells

–Asia: tigers, panda, Tibetan antelopes

–North America: wolves, bears, pumas, bald eagles, American paddlefish

–Australia: koala bears, marine turtle, dugong

–South America: jaguars, sharks

Why are these animals being poached? Money, ivory and fur, religion, food, clothes, wool, medicine, cosmetics, ornaments, fat and sport.

How you can help stop poaching? *never buy anything made of ivory *spread the word *never buy uncertified coral *don’t keep exotic animals as pets.

:VIRUNGA:

Not many people have heard of Virunga, which is a great shame because it is probably one of the most remarkable places on Earth.

1885 Africa carved into colonies rules by European Nations. Only Congo privatized and ruled by corporations under King Leopold II. Resources pillaged. Millions killed and mutilated.

1960 Patrice Lumumba leads Congo to independence. Foreign mining interests rally against him. The Congo’s richest province Katanga was set up as a separate state, with the aid of a force of European missionary soldiers.

1961 Lumumba executed with support of western governments. Law and order broke down. Mining continues. Vast quantities of precious metals exported.

1994 Genocide in Rwanda sparks long Civil War in Congo. Rebel groups profit trade in rare minerals. Global electronics industry continues to buy them. (Play Station, mobile phones) Over 5 million Congolese die from fighting

2003 Fragile peace agreement reached.

2006 First Democratic elections in 40 years.

2010 Oil discovery claimed in Eastern Congo under Lake Edward in Virunga National Park. A home to thousands of people and the last Mountain Gorillas.

2012 Instability returns.

It is one of the most beautiful yet forgotten place of the Earth, Congo. It is a place on the brink of destruction where the last Mountain Gorillas live. Greed, corruption and violence .. right in the heart of Africa. Within the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country still ravaged from years of Civil War lies an oasis, Virunga National Park, where the rangers try to rebuild their country after twenty years of war. Volcanoes, glaciers and savannahs makes it quite a diverse place. Virunga is the largest National Park on the continent of Africa and also the oldest. It is also a sanctuary for the last 880 Mountain Gorillas in the world. A place they call ‘home’. We are very closely related to gorillas, they’re one of our closest relatives. Seeing them with their children and a mother holding a baby, you can see that it’s basically identical. You see a reflection of yourself and that they respond to fear and happiness. They are so close to us yet their future is so delicate where their survival really hangs in the balance. Bordering on Rwanda and Uganda the park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a part of our planet that the world has decided is so special and important. But the park, like the Congo itself, has a brutal history. Foreigners have pillaged the land and the park of its natural resources. Virunga National Park has barely survived. A fourteen year Civil War has left the country in ruins and caused the death of more than 5 million people, half of them children. In 2003, a fragile peace was forged and like the park, the country struggled to heal. You meet people in your life that have a strong belief about something, but it’s very rare to come across those who would literally die for something bigger than themselves. The Rangers that work in Virunga lay down their lives for the park. Maintaining the park for the gorillas is just one of the concerns. Sadly, there are far more deadly matters, like poachers. Not everyone believes that the gorillas and their habitat should be saved. In July 2007, poachers stole into the park and committed a horrific crime. Nine gorillas were killed. The logic was that once the gorillas were killed, there would be no more reason to protect the park anymore.  Congo’s political instability and weakened army gave rise to a dangerous and heavily armed new rebel group, M23. It was reported that a dozen different armed groups within the region were united against the Congolese Army. Every single armed group that uprated in Eastern Congo being tied to the illegal exploitation of natural resources, that’s how they survive. They all have mixed agendas. Foreign oil companies eye the park as profit. The rich resources of the park could mean billions of dollars .. but at what cost? SOCO International, a British company was granted a  concession to explore for oil. They could have legally explored for oil in part of the concession that wasn’t in the park. Yet, they chose to only explore for oil within the Virunga National Park. It is illegal to be exploring oil in a National Park. Congo has suffered from foreigners coming in exploiting its natural resources for centuries. In the past it has brought a  lot of violence. There are other places around the world where the oil rarely bring in any money to the local people. It brings money in the hands of a few people for a short amount of time. Since the 1990’s, about 140 rangers have lost their lives in the line of duty. On average, one staff member a month is lost to the poachers or to the militias that are trained to attack the park for its resources. The Rangers want to protect the park because they see that protecting the park and its resources are essential for their children and their children’s children. It takes decades to build up a park after a period of trauma and a period of great destruction. However, it can all be destroyed in three days. Fifty percent of species on the entire Africa continent can be found in Virunga. There is no way you can find that concentration. It is globally critical from a conservation perspective to protect Virunga, to keep it alive. We have to draw the line at some point and think about what parts of the world we are going to leave for other forms of life. Wouldn’t it be tragic if Mountain Gorillas or any of these wonderful species to disappear? This is the only planet in the entire universe where we have certainty that life exists. Why should we let any other form of life disappear when we can save them with such little effort. Although there is a very serious situation happening, there is hope  and we can do something to change things and we can all be apart of that. Do we want our children to inherit a world with no mountain gorillas? Do we want our children to inherit what today are beautiful parts of our planet but tomorrow could be another oil field? If it is happening in Virunga National Park, who is to say it is  not happening in other World Heritage Sites around the world? Can you imagine drilling taking place in Yosemite National Park or even The Grand Canyon?