Gorillas: Kings Of Congo

CNN's Anderson Cooper Visits Endangered Mountain Gorillas

(CBS)  Cooper and the 60 Minutes team hiked to a location in a Rwandan forest, where a family of 21 gorillas, headed by an adult male silverback named "Agasha," had been spotted.

After a trek through dense forest and over muddy trails, they reached Agasha and his family; the guides grunted like gorillas to assure them that they had come in peace.

While it's impossible not to be impressed by the size of the gorillas -- Agasha weighs more than 400 pounds -- they didn’t seem too impressed by their human visitors. They spend their days eating bamboo and other plants and the occasional mound of termites. Agasha eats up to 60 pounds a day. He needs the energy: he has eleven adult females in his family, and tries to mate with each of them every day to keep them from wandering off. The silverback seemed unconcerned by the group's arrival, but he did want to make sure the humans knew who's boss. Twice, when he thought Cooper and the team had gotten too close, he charged right past the 60 Minutes cameras.

You're only allowed one hour with gorillas to limit their risk of catching a disease. Poachers are another problem. Two gorillas in this family have lost a hand because of snares. Even in Rwanda, poachers set snares, usually to catch antelope, but gorillas get trapped in them too. And that pains guide Olivier Nabonimona, who feels the gorillas are national treasures.

"We really love these gorillas. We love them. Because they deserve this right to survive. Also, they bring money in the country. Then it helps in poverty reduction," Nabonimona explains.

In Rwanda, Gorilla tourism has created jobs for guides, handicraft makers, and hotel workers. Each visitor pays $500 to see the gorillas. Rwanda will make $6 million from tourists this year. Part of that goes to villagers who live right next to the park to convince them that protecting the gorillas, and the forest, can enhance their lives too. The government installed ten water tanks so villagers don't have to walk miles to get clean water. They've built a new health clinic, new schools, and planted thousands of new trees.

But back in Congo, all that's new are the graves of Senkwekwe and Safari and the other mountain gorillas killed this year. They’re buried outside the forest. It's still too deadly for park rangers to return to Congo’s side of the forest to find out what's happened to the animals they feel they can talk to.

A ranger tells Cooper he can speak gorilla. "Means that there is something which is not going well here," he says, after making a gorilla sound.

So much is not going well here: charcoal, civil war, poachers and that these last few kings of Congo are dying.

---

Last March, authorities arrested a high-ranking park ranger who'd been the director of the park where the five gorillas were slaughtered and charged him with orchestrating the massacre. His motive? To keep his fellow rangers from breaking up the illegal charcoal trade still flourishing in the gorillas' forest.

[huntley42]

Couldn''t the same governments that fund study of mountain gorrilas also fund a project to remove the remaining Gorillas and put them in a safer park to give them a chance to survive in the wild. After the area stablizes within it''s human population and they realize what they have lost maybe retransplant them back into the area.

[ansall-2009]

Re the Congo gorillas - my heart breaks when I watch a story about innocent, defenseless creatures (child or animal)who are destroyed by the cruelties of man. But we have also done these magnificent creatures a disservice by allowing humans so close to them so often that the gorillas no long fear them. These gentle giants can''t tell the difference between a 2 legged creature with a camera and one with a gun. We are as much to blame for their deaths as the horrible people who pulled the triggers.

[pdinoia]

Get the UN large corporations and our government eradicate poverty and ignorance. That will be the day!
There is so much coal in other countries not exploited, France for example, put people back to work produce wealth and jobs and export to our human brothers in need such as the Congolese who will stop burning trees for charcoal and consequently kill innocent Gorillas. I see that many citizens found so many common sense solutions to these serious problems , I do not think our leaders or emerging countries are interested at all at a better human management and earth preserving policies. It seems so obvious for the rest of us maybe what we need is a revolution of the mind where the entire humanity is taking out of ignorance and brought back to light.

[pdinoia]

After watching your story report and reflecting upon it. It seems to me that our governments can solve these problems easily if they would want to. The Congolese want Charcoal so they burn trees and kill Gorillas to do that. They basically need the basic that life requires to survive. Certain Countries in Europe such as France have stopped the coal production production. Let the governments of these various countries get in touch with each other ( The UN for example) and resolve these issues. Start the coal production again in France create Jobs and wealth, export the coal to Africa stop the killing and create decent living. Get involved or maybe it is too simple? we all know that our governments and large corporation often the same do not like simple common sense solutions but rather explotation of our natural reserve , our earth until it is too late.
But who is listening to? "we the People"

[pdinoia]

After watching your story report and reflecting upon it. It seems to me that our governments can solve these problems easily if they would want to. The Congolese want Charcoal so they burn trees and kill Gorillas to do that. They basically need the basic that life requires to survive. Certain Countries in Europe such as France have stopped the coal production production. Let the governments of these various countries get in touch with each other ( The UN for example) and resolve these issues. Start the coal production again in France create Jobs and wealth, export the coal to Africa stop the killing and create decent living. Get involved or maybe it is too simple? we all know that our governments and large corporation often the same do not like simple common sense solutions but rather explotation of our natural reserve , our earth until it is too late.
But who is listening to? "we the People"

[pdinoia]

After watching your story report and reflecting upon it. It seems to me that our governments can solve these problems easily if they would want to. The Congolese want Charcoal so they burn trees and kill Gorillas to do that. They basically need the basic that life requires to survive. Certain Countries in Europe such as France have stopped the coal production production. Let the governments of these various countries get in touch with each other ( The UN for example) and resolve these issues. Start the coal production again in France create Jobs and wealth, export the coal to Africa stop the killing and create decent living. Get involved or maybe it is too simple? we all know that our governments and large corporation often the same do not like simple common sense solutions but rather explotation of our natural reserve , our earth until it is too late.
But who is listening to? "we the People"

[wonderfulyfe]

%u201CUntil we have the courage to recognize cruelty for what it is, whether its victim is human or animal, we cannot expect things to be much better in this world. We cannot have peace among men whose hearts delight in killing any living creature. By every act that glorifies or even tolerates such moronic delight in killing we set back the progress of humanity.%u201D Rachel Carson

%u201CThe greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.%u201D Mohandas Gandhi

%u201CIt ill becomes us to invoke in our daily prayers the blessings of God, the Compassionate, if we in turn will not practice elementary compassion towards our fellow creatures.%u201D Mohandas Gandhi

[wonderfulyfe]

Thank you Anderson Cooper and %u201C60 Minutes%u201D for taking your viewers on such an amazing journey. It was truly touching and amusing to observe the lovable antics of the adorable Mountain Gorillas, to behold their intelligence, sensitivity and vulnerability. And the sights and sounds of the mysterious jungles were breathtaking. Although the trek there was obviously arduous!

It is appalling to realize that a Park Ranger enlisted to protect these gorgeous creatures betrayed them. Heartbreaking, especially as the Mountain Gorillas are one of the most critically endangered creatures on our planet.

Thank you for speaking up for them and for the continued attention given to these magnificent creatures, National Treasures, so they can live in peace to be enjoyed by many. This in turn would also help the dear Congolese people, many of whom have either experienced trauma or live with grief because of the horrific violence that has ripped apart their fellow citizens lives. Many have suffered so much. And continue to suffer for so many reasons. It is beyond heartbreaking.

This outstanding report gave evidence of the possibilities for them. They desperately need hope.

We are deeply grateful for the hard work of those involved. Thank you again Anderson Cooper and %u201C60 Minutes.%u201D Wishing you all blessings. I especially prayerfully wish the dear Congolese people peace and love, along with these magnificent creatures sharing our beautiful earth.

[urbro]

Well there''s no simple answer to this issue, if you take away the demand of charcoal you open the door to other elements to be abuse

[jewishamy]

After viewing last night''s story, "Gorillas: Kings of Congo," as much as I wished, I could not delete the story and footage from my mind and heart. I continued to re-visit the horrific pictures in a nightmare last night. A hopeless and helpless feeling continues to engulf my reality given the deplorable living conditions of the people in the region, civil war, and the majestic gorillas in the middle. If everyone were given Butane and compatible stoves, how long would it take for change to occur? People are getting paid to chop down trees and burn them for fuel. My first thought was to capture and re-locate the Gorillas to a safe sanctuary. Then, call Oprah!!! "Hey Oprah, how bout funding fuel and stoves for all!" The gruesome images still invade my thoughts today. I wish I could just wish them away. I am grateful officials carried them out of the forest like kings, but really want to see Gorillas live like kings safe and sound. Soon, we will only cherish these gentle giants in books. Kings of the Congo? I think not. More like Victims of Humankind.
Heartbreaking and so very sad.

[clancy01]

send in seal team six.

[rg21426]

Bio-Digester from Latrines can be used to generate Methane gas. Here is a link of it being done in Kenya. Another solution would be to give the Rebels free fuel to sell to in place of Charcoal.

http://playgreen.org/Wiki/BioLatrinesKenya

[jerrygrow]

Several people have mentioned the obvious solution -- solar stoves. They are cheap to make, easy to maintain, and require only the sun for fuel. Giving every villager a solar stove would virtually eliminate the need for charcoal, and, hence, the need to cut trees in gorilla habitat. The charcoal mafia would have to find another line of "work."

[bhamkaren]

Anderson, I missed the original broadcast of this story but was deeply moved when I saw Kings of the Congo when it aired tonight. Are there organizations we can support or actions we can take as individuals to help protect these magnificent animals? Thanks for your fine work. Best Regards.

[motherearth4]

Thank you for the Kings of the Congo. One solution to one aspect of the problem is to replace charcoal for cooking with solar cookers. This is alternative is successfully making its way into Somalia and Darfur. See the link:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=edg8KPb6SS4&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Yz_a6sCP0Ww&feature=related

It may not solve the problem of greed but we can pray.

[judytravis]

Cooper please follow up with a solutions oriented segment! An African company named Chardust Ltd. is making charcoal briquettes from sugarcane waste (bagassee). Director is Matthew Owen, PO Box 24371, Karen 00502, Nairobi,Kenya. Tel: [phone]. They are in need of funds and supportive regulation to make their operation more cost effective in order to compete with the illegal charcoal mafia who trade without tarifs. 50-60 million people worldwide use this low tech fuel. Imagine the positive impact on Gorilla habitat and humans by substituting sugarcane waste for fuel instead of trees! Please take action to help the Mountain Gorillas now-time is of the essence!!!

[netlady33]

The story that you reported is heart breaking. The gorillas in Africa is in danger of been extirpation. We are human often think how speciall we are, but the animals like gorillas, dolphin, and penguins, dogs and all are the real soul that we all searching for. We need to do something about it to save as much as we can, we can''t just sits there and watching they are been slaughted. What will the planet look like when one day we don''t have any animals around. That will be the end of the world. Don''t that sound scared? Animals are part of the human society, and we are part of them. Now, this is the time we can give back for what we took.

[grimmartist]

Thank you for your coverage of the Mountain Gorilla''s plight. Your story reminded me of an article in the fall Special Edition of "Smithsonian" magazine (page 16). A young engineer, Christina Galitsky and a team from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have invented a portable, very efficient cookstove for women in Darfur. Would this stove help reduce the need for charcoal in the gorilla''s homeland?

[burtonway]

Great story to open our eyes.

BUT: what about Blood Diamonds?

What about Tower #7 during 9/11? Google Tower #7 and see for yourself, it is coverup and concealment of human massacre (American Massacre).
So for all CNN and Cooper and CBS report, they leave SO much more covered up as the human race continues to suffer in bondage. Gorilla''s have a better fate than the greedy humans (including media) that exploit other humans. IN the end we all reap what we sow, and humans are trapped in greed and hunger and confusion. I will pray for the deceased Gorilla''s and pray that the truth will come out.

CNN: Half the truth, All the time.

[simonerey]

Why not use solar ovens in the jungle so people are not destroying the gorilla habitat to create charcoal to cook with. This seems more natural than using butane or propane.