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News/Conservation:
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Aug. 3, 2007
Mountain
Gorilla Crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo
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Tragedy
has again struck the mountain gorillas in the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC). You may have heard that four
more of these magnificent beings – 3 females (one
pregnant) and their silverback - were discovered senselessly
slaughtered in their sanctuary in the Virunga Mountains
just last week, victims of war and greed. Numbering only
around 700, this species cannot survive such an intense
level of predation. As eminent conservationist Richard
Leakey observed, “ the security of this species
is not guaranteed.”
The Gorilla Foundation joins with our friends in Africa
in grieving over this irreparable loss. But this disaster
is also a wake up call. We must now channel our outrage
into positive action to ensure the survival of all gorillas.
You can take meaningful action:
- Write your senate and congressional representatives
– on paper and email for the most impact –
and tell them you want them to act to make Africa safe
for humans and non-humans alike. And ask a friend to do
the same. Find addresses at these websites:
— http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
— http://www.house.gov/writerep/
— http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/
- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service supports gorilla
conservation in Africa; write to them as well and ask
for increased support:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Division of International
Conservation
Arlington Square
4401 North Fairfax Drive,
Roon 730
Arlington, VA 22203-1610
- Share your view: tell a friend, make a poster for school,
write to your favorite blog or newspaper .
- And you can support our own African conservation efforts
directly through donations to the Wildlife Protectors
Fund. Those whom we work with in Cameroon tell us that
one key to helping ensure gorilla survival is raising
awareness among the people, encouraging empathy and enlisting
them as protectors. Another is rescuing and rehabilitating
the babies left behind in the meantime. WPF projects do
both.
Lowland gorillas, like our own Koko and Ndume, still exist
in greater numbers than mountain gorillas. But for how
long? Carrying out our mission of conservation through
communication, with Ambassador Koko leading the way in
Africa and here at home, is one form of positive action
we can take today. (Donate
to our mission now.)
As a poem written by schoolchildren in Cameroon concludes,
"All the gorillas in the world are Kokos." We
agree.
Please act now!
P.S. You can also learn more via these links:
• Dian
Fossey Gorilla Fund International
• The
Gorilla Organization
• Newsweek
World News
• CNN.com
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Please Help Koko Save Her Species
©
Copyright 2007 The Gorilla Foundation/Koko.org.
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