There’s nothing stronger in this world than the love felt for parents. And that doesn’t apply only to human beings, but all beings as well. Therefore, losing a parent is the most tragic experience for any creature on Earth. And wildlife photographer Phil Moore captured some touching photos, to prove that.
After loosing its mom, because of poaching, for this gorilla the pain is all too real. And since the moment is so overwhelming, the poor creature finds support in one of the park’s rangers, Patrick Karabaranga, whose compassion for the orphaned gorilla is touching as well.
The photo was captured at Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A place where orphaned gorillas like this one are find comfort and protection from the cruel poachers.
As a result of mass deforestation, the mountain gorillas, like many other species, have become a critically endangered species. In the last years, their numbers have dramatically declined. Beside that, poaching is the other human activity that threats the wildlife.
Some great conservation efforts have been made in order to restore the gorilla population and Virunga National Park can be a very positive example in this way. Here are living around 200 individuals, about a quarter of the world’s mountain gorilla population. However, there is still much to be done!
Virunga National Park is a national park in the Albertine Rift Valley in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was created in 1925 and is among the first protected areas in Africa. In elevation, it ranges from 680 m (2,230 ft) in the Semliki River valley to 5,109 m (16,762 ft) in the Rwenzori Mountains. From north to south it extends about 300 km (190 mi), largely along the international borders with Uganda and Rwanda in the east. It covers an area of 8,090 km2 (3,120 sq mi).
Two active volcanoes are located in the park, Mount Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira. They have significantly shaped the national park’s diverse habitats and wildlife. More than 3,000 faunal and floral species have been recorded, of which more than 300 are endemic to the Albertine Rift including eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringei) and golden monkey (Cercopithecus kandti).
In 1979, the National Park was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its rich diversity of habitats, exceptional biodiversity and endemism, and its protection of rare mountain gorilla habitat. It has been listed in the List of World Heritage in Danger since 1994 because of civil unrest and the increase of human presence in the region.