Gearing up 4 Gorillas

Ranger Kambale Katambiriki was shot and killed yesterday by Mai Mai rebels.

He was 32 yrs old and leaves his wife, Kabuo Salambongo, and 7 children all under the age of 10. 

He worked from the Karuruma patrol post, in the northern sector of the Park.

The Mai Mai have consistently attacked Park rangers over the years, wanting to have Virunga National Park for themselves, to hunt and live as they wish.

He was buried yesterday too - there is no means of preserving bodies for funerals. His wife must somehow cope on her own.

The gorilla.cd site is taking donations to help his wife with funeral costs. Let us know if you’d like a donation to go to Kabuo and we will forward it.

Another senseless loss of a dedicated ranger, just doing his job. Another ranger has shrapnel wounds and is being treated in hospital.

Thanks to the generosity of The Murry Foundation in Bournemouth, Rumangabo primary school was inaugurated on Sunday 22nd March. 7 new classrooms have been built to the delight of the 600 children who attend the school, their teachers, parents and villagers.

The Provincial Environment Minister did the opening honours by cutting a tape across a classroom door. The Mwami Ndeze, leader of many hundreds of local communities, also attended and made the link between the wildlife of Virunga and the new school. Without the gorilla, elephant and buffalo of Virunga, the new building may never have happened.

Many of the children of the rangers based at Rumangabo HQ for Virunga attend the school. The children sang the national anthem whilst the rangers saluted and the ladies of the village sang and danced as the ceremony progressed.

Around 1,200 snares have been retrieved from the forest since November 2008 and these were burned at the ceremony. You can see Emmanuel de Merode and the Mwami Ndeze here watching them burn.

Linda from G4G also made the journey to Rumangabo, taking some ‘hello’ letters from Cranborne Middle School in Dorset. The children of both schools are exchanging letters and pictures.  Hopefully there will be many penpal friendships developing over the coming months!

This was such a wonderful,  joyous occasion after the troubles and dangers of last years fighting. Hundreds of happy faces - long may it continue….