News & Events

Gorilla ranger killed in Dem. Rep. Congo

Wednesday, 14 January 2009 09:22

A wildlife ranger has paid the ultimate price in the effort to protect endangered Mountain Gorillas in Democratic Republic of Congo. Ranger Safari Kakule was killed by rebel forces during an attack on the evening of January 8 in Congo's Virguna National Park. Safari and six other rangers were attacked while on patrol.

More than 120 rangers have been killed in the line of duty in Congo over the last decade due to the ongoing war in the eastern part of the country. Rangers have had to flee parts of Virunga National Park several times over the past year due to incursions by armed groups.

Until the recent troubles, Virunga had been one of the few bright spots in eastern Congo. Rangers have been working to "habituate" gorillas in hopes of attracting high-paying ecotourists to eastern Congo. In neighboring Rwanda and Uganda, visitors pay more than $300 for a chance to see gorillas in their natural habitat.

Read the full article (link to mongabay.com)

Radio interview on Radio Canada

Monday, 12 January 2009 14:03

YoG Coordinator Veronika Lenarz (UNEP/CMS) gave an interview in French to Radio Canada. The interview gives an outline of the campaign's rationale and goals. To listen to the interview, follow the link below, then go to January 1st in the right-hand box and start at Minute 35 of the audio file.

Click here to go to Radio Canada

More than Trees - Forests and the Role of Apes

Monday, 12 January 2009 10:36

In their recent article in UNEP's 'Our Planet', YoG Ambassador Ian Redmond, Moses Mapesa and Aggrey Rwetsiba describe in a compelling manner the crucial role played by great apes and other large mammals in forests. They function as seed dispersers and are essential for many plant species' life-cycles and the long-term integrity of forest ecosystems. As illustrated by the example of gorilla-watching tourism in Uganda, they can also make a major contribution economically, and are worth much more alive than dead.

Read the article 'More than Trees' here

YoG UK launch 'Gorillas on thin Ice' on January 15

Friday, 19 December 2008 14:45
Year of the Gorilla 2009 Fund-Raiser Skates-Off at The Natural History Museum Ice Rink in London Thursday 15th January Photo Call at 10.30am 7 January 2009, London/Bonn/Nairobi -- Nemo the Disney clownfish has done it and so have Peter Pan and Sleeping Beauty— now it is time for ‘Gorillas on Ice!’ As part of the 2009 international Year of the Gorilla (YoG), co-ordinated by the United Nations and to herald the Charles Darwin bi-centenary celebrations next month, a troupe of skaters dressed as primates are to take to the rink at The Natural History Museum in London. The event, which is free to spectators, is happening on 15 January from 10.00am to noon with the Museum’s Balcony overlooking the rink available for press photographers to capture the unique occasion.
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Year of the Gorilla (YoG) launched in Rome after first Meeting of the Parties to the CMS Gorilla Agreement

Friday, 12 December 2008 10:57

Rome / Bonn - The YoG 2009 was officially launched at the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Conference of Parties in Rome.

Launched by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco at the opening of the conference, YoG aims to support conservation of these close relatives of humankind and their habitats by boosting the livelihoods and incomes of local people.

The initiative also aims to improve the management of national and cross border populations of primates and ones living in National Parks by strengthening cooperation between range states and providing improved support for rangers and other key personnel. Experts last week met under the new Gorilla Agreement coordinated by UN Environment Programme’s Convention on Migratory Species (UNEP-CMS). Here they adopted a comprehensive action plan to support the upcoming Year.