These several cute photos of gorillas and rangers posing together went viral because the gorillas appear to imitate the humans who rescued them when they were only babies. The beautiful photos were taken at a gorilla orphanage in Virunga National Park in Congo where the animals have been taken care of since after their parents were murdered by poachers.
According to the park’s deputy director, the gorillas have learned to imitate these people who have looked after them since they were young. They consider the rangers their family. Unfortunately, the gorillas’ mothers have been killed back in 2007 when the baby gorillas were only 2 and 4 months old.
Poaching of Gorillas Is still Happening?
After this unfortunate event happened, they were taken to the Virunga sanctuary. Standing on two legs is how they’re ‘learning to be humans’. One ranger said that he was surprised to see this behavior and that was a lot of fun. But, being a ranger isn’t always fun- it’s actually quite dangerous.
Sadly, 5 rangers were killed in this National Park last year during an ambush by suspected rebels and more than 130 park rangers have been killed in Virunga since the year of 1996.
Harming the Innocent Continues
The sad truth is that modern society today is harming our planet and this includes injuring animals that can’t protect themselves from the weapons of humans and their cruelty.
Although there are a lot of people who’re trying to do all they can to help animals, there are those who are harming them and poachers are one of them.
Gorillas are being poached for a lot of reasons, including bushmeat trade, food, and traditional medicine. Rangers are trying to keep these animals safe and clearly, they’ve developed a deep and strong bond along the way.
Virunga National Park is an UNESO world heritage site which is kept safe by a dedicated team of around 600 rangers. In the past, this area was affected by wars and armed conflicts that were harming humans, but wildlife too.
The rangers undergo intense training in order to be able to keep the wildlife in the park safe.
If you’re able to, please donate to the park- even a small donation of $8 dollars can do a lot- it will provide a pair of new boots whereas $150 can help them feed an orphan gorilla with food and supplements for two weeks.
Sources: