Global News - August 2007

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Another murdered gorilla found in the DRC

Mon 20 August 2007 12:30 UK — Africa

The body of another dead gorilla has been found in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), officials have reported.

Recently, the bodies of four endangered gorillas were discovered in the Virunga National Park.

A UNESCO team was dispatched to the region to investigate the killings and officials have now reported that another dead gorilla has been discovered.

Yvette Kaboza, a programme specialist with UNESCO's world heritage centre, told Reuters that the remains of the female gorilla were discovered by a local ranger. There are fears that the primate's offspring is also dead.

Ms Kaboza explained to the news agency: "The baby that was with her was not old enough to live without its mother."

The new death also means that the surviving members of the gorilla group have no females to mate with - putting their future survival at risk.

Gerard Collin, a consultant with the UNESCO team, said to the news agency: "Effectively, this means that not only are there six that are now dead, but there will now be a group of 12 gorillas that may not carry on into the next generation."

Fewer than 700 mountain gorillas are thought to survive in the wild.

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