Comments on: Gorillas: Kings Of Congo

CNN's Anderson Cooper Visits Endangered Mountain Gorillas

[carmen52-2009]

for those that are touched by this story and would like to help the gorillas/rangers/displaced congolese people. please go to wildlifedirect.org and give what you can. there are blogs that give an account of the desperate situation from those involved in saving the gorillas from extinction. their efforts are truly heroic. please take some time to read the blogs, and contribute whatever you can. it is tax deductable also. much thanks to 60 minutes and anderson cooper for shedding light on this situation.

[sklarg]

The need for cooking fuel is driving the Gorillas plight in this case. Check out these simple solar ovens which the website indicates are used in India and elsewhere. There should be many companies making such products http://www.solarcookers.org/index.html

[travelina-2009]

@amahora: 60 Minutes did mention that the rangers as well as gorillas have been killed in Democratic Republic of the Congo. Perhaps this gorilla story will help focus more attention on conditions in the DRC, which are, as you say, especially horrific for women:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/the-world-continues-to-look-away-dont/2007/11/23/1195753310737.html

[travelina-2009]

Cheers to Anderson Cooper and CBS for airing this important story. For more on the Virunga gorilla massacre, and for the websites of organizations that are helping to protect mountain gorillas, check out the National Geographic short video and their How To Help page:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/2007-12/gorilla-massacre/gorilla-massacre-video.html

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/2007-12/gorilla-massacre/how-to-help.html

[librablue-2009]

The first hand accounts given by the rangers on Wildlife Direct%u2019s Gorilla Protection Blog are both sad and frightening. It keeps us up to the minute on what is going on over there. I highly recommend it!

In regards to amahoro%u2019s comments, Anderson has done many reports on the suffering of women and children in Africa and he did mention the human suffering in this report and many of the comments, including one of my earlier ones, mentioned it as well. Although I respect your opinion I think your judgment is too harsh. These animals are endangered and their situation deserves to be discussed as well.

[travelina-2009]

Cheers to Anderson Cooper and CBS for airing this important story. For more on the Virunga gorilla massacre, and for the websites of organizations that are helping to protect mountain gorillas, check out the National Geographic short video and their How To Help page:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/2007-12/gorilla-massacre/gorilla-massacre-video.html

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/2007-12/gorilla-massacre/how-to-help.html

[amahoro]

While I understand that it is important to preserve the magnificent gorrilas, I am disturbed that no mention is made of people, human being like us who through no fault of their own live in terror everyday. Unspeakable things are happening to women living through the conflict in the DRC(Democratic Republic of Congo) and airtime is given to gorrilas! Shame on us all.

[solaranswers]

What about finding a fuel source besides charcoal? How about solar power? Solar technology is relatively simple, and there is an abundance of available sun power in this area. This cause just needs a champion - Oprah, Bill, Warren - are you listening?

[pish07]

Wonderful journalism, as usual, however four dead gorillas compared to Darfur:

Date 2003%u2013present
Result Humanitarian catastrophe (est. 200,000-400,000 dead and 2,500,000 refugees)


This should be on the news every night.

[cathy-ca]

A million thanks to Anderson Cooper and CBS for raising public awareness. It is our job to pressure our government into caring about this issue before it is too late. For anyone who has not visited the Wildlife Direct website, I would urge you to do so. 100% of your donation will go to supporting these rangers and you will learn more about what is really going on in the DRC than you possibly could from any other form of news. The rangers and conservationist (located in the DRC )provide daily interactive updates on several different blogs and I know of no other charity that functions this way. It is a phenomenal group--those in the Congo--and those of us who do what we can from home. Write to your congressmen/women and senators and tell them how you feel. Get everyone you know involved before it is too late.

[cathy-ca]

I would urge anyone unfamiliar with Wildlife Direct to view their website. Every dollar donated goes directly to these endangered animals and the men who risk their lives to safeguard them. You can interact with the rangers and read current info coming directly from the DRC and the conservationists who are on the front line. There is also great concern for the displaced people of the DRC who are caught in the middle of this civil war. Plans are being drawn up to deal with the humanitarian crisis that has erupted since this piece was filmed. Every voice counts so please contact your
senators and representatives and let them know you care.
A million thanks to Anderson Cooper and CBS for putting this tragedy into perspective. I just hope it isn''t too late.

[librablue-2009]

kevin-808 you are so right! Bush doesn''t care about the conditions over there much less the animals. It is up to "we the people" to speak out about these things. I donate what I can; this Christmas I "adopted" two gorilla infants from DFGFI. If everyone did something, even just call their representatives about this issue maybe something would be done to end this war between the army and the rebels over there and conditions for humans and animals alike would improve. However, if journalitsts like Anderson didn''t report on it many people would remain unaware of the situation. Let%u2019s give credit where credit is due.

[popfutures]

A compelling story. Thank you Anderson Cooper and 60 Minutes.

Two weeks ago I launched a Social Entrepreneurial Venture aimed at raising funds for Mountain Gorillas. Fully $5.50 from the sale of each $10 collectible card featuring a photo of a Mountain Gorilla will be sent to organizations working on the front lines to save Gorillas. Details at www.popfutures.com.

[kevin-808]

Bottom line - if we were to give just a little time and a little $ a day to help either the people buy necessities to heat home and water, instead of cutting down habitat for coal, or pressuring our leaders to divert funds from OUR taxes to help innocent animals and educate locals on their importance, instead of funding war for Oil we would help to save something truly great. I will give up a mere $2 a day for the next 3 months to donate to help the gorillas cause and I am your typical nobody. If everybody did this we could really help.

If you think you are better/smarter/righter than me, save your words, turn your competitive nature into money, and donate it to a cause that will help the gorillas.

[jmljr2]

This area of the world sounds like an excellent place for our ''jungle special forces'' to train....hunting down the gorilla killers while doing so.

[melizah72]

First, I must say "thank you" to Anderson Cooper and CBS for bringing this tragedy out in the open by airing this segment. Anderson Cooper, please do an entire show on this topic. Yes, I too thought it was a bit bizarre for Anderson Cooper to ask a black man to make gorilla sounds, but we must not look at everything with negativity. Perhaps, it was just so that we could understand the great lengths these rangers go to in order to protect the gorillas, and how close they are to the gorillas. The gorilla story is not a vanity piece as one blogger mentions. It is a vitally important piece that sheds light on what is happening in the DRC not only to the gorillas, but the people as well. The US, and many European countries have created this mess by partnering with corrupt governments. The issue is much deeper then the 60 Minutes segment about gorillas. There is currently fighting in the DRC taking place at this very moment which is causing the displacement of thousands of people. I could go on and on...
Suggested reading: The Congo: Plunder and Resistance
AND go to wildlifedirect.org for more wildlife updates.
Peace to all!

[librablue-2009]

Excellent point indy1123! Any report that sheds light on this horrible situation is desperately needed and more than welcome. In my opinion, Mr. Cooper has done a fine job!

[indy1123]

I thought the issue here was the gorillas, not Anderson Cooper. I guess it shows how much we really care.
I hope there is an answer for the gorillas and other animals that are being killed.

[casstech88]

I cannot believe I just watched Anderson Cooper asking a black man to make gorilla sounds on national television for his own amusement. Ed Bradley must be turning in his grave. It''s time for 60 Minutes to get a minority correspondent and return to the business of real journalism rather than vanity pieces such as the gorilla story featured tonight.

[librablue-2009]

I hope that Anderson Cooper''s brilliant report on the plight of the mountain gorillas will make people more aware of just how desperate the conditions are in the DRC and how ruthless these rebels are. Something needs to be done to stop their destructive actions; they are deadly to both humans and animals. These courageous rangers risk their lives everyday in an effort to protect these gorillas, often with little or no pay.

I am very glad that Anderson showed just how gentle and majestic these wonderful creatures are and what a tragedy it would be to lose them. He has truly been a friend to the gorillas for quite some time and has done a number of reports on them. His efforts are greatly appreciated by those of us who love these animals!