An infant gorilla that was rescued from poachers last week is now on his way to recovery at the Virunga National Park. The baby gorilla was rescued in an undercover operation where rangers from the park posed as potential buyers seeking to purchase a baby gorilla. Police from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DNC) aided the rangers in the operation. The poachers had asked for $40,000 when police raided the scene and arrested three perpetrators and accused them of illegally trafficking gorillas. Reports mention that illegal gorilla trafficking is on the rise as this was the fourth gorilla rescued this year from poachers. Poachers usually kill the entire family of gorillas in order to kidnap the babies as the family stick together and fight for their young, so poachers shoot them and sell their body parts to tourists in local markets. In a statement released by the Virunga National Park that they are too very concerned about the trafficking. “We are very concerned about a growing market for baby gorillas that is feeding a dangerous trafficking activity in rebel-controlled areas of eastern DRC,” VNP said. “We are powerless to control the international trade in baby gorillas, but our rangers are doing everything they can to stamp it out on the ground,” they added. BM
