Diary: Protecting mountain gorillas

In July 2007, armed men entered the Democratic Republic of Congo's Virunga National Park and killed five critically endangered mountain gorillas at point-blank range, leaving the bodies where they fell.

Since September 2007, rebel forces have controlled the area, threatening to kill any conservationists or gorilla rangers who attempted to enter the area.

Recently, the rangers and their families had to flee from their homes and live in makeshift camps as the latest outbreak of violence engulfed the eastern part of the country.

Diddy and Innocent are long-serving rangers who have spent their working lives protecting the remaining gorillas in the war-torn region.

In this weekly diary, they describe life on conservation's frontline and the frustration of how current events are hampering their efforts.

Profiles of Diddy and Innocent

MONDAY 19 JANUARY - MILITIA KILL RANGER

Safari had a promising future in conservation ahead of him

It is with great sadness that we have to share the news with you that one of our rangers, Safari Kakule, has been killed.

Safari was at our patrol post in Tshiaberimu with six other rangers last week when they were attacked without warning by Mai Mai militia.

The team of rangers defended their position and managed to apprehend a Mai Mai officer.

But the attack was extremely violent and they were greatly outnumbered. As they retreated from their position, Safari was hit by the attackers' gunfire.

Safari was an exceptional ranger, who had worked with the gorillas in Tshiaberimu for several years.

Happier times: Safari poses for a photo with communications officer Pierre

He had recently trained to be a para-vet, and he was expected to play a very important role in protecting the gorillas of Tshiaberimu.

His colleagues carried Safari's body with them as they moved to safety and brought it to Kyondo, several hours from where the attack took place.

From there he will be taken back to Lubero, and a final resting place at his family home.

It may not look like it in the photo, but Safari was a big guy. What the picture does not show is that I am actually standing on a mound of earth just to be level with him.

He was intelligent, committed, and knew a lot about gorillas.

In my mind, he was someone who would go on to big things and would have made an important contribution to conservation in Virunga.

He will be greatly missed.

Pierre Peron, Virunga National Park communications officer

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Read the previous diary entries from Diddy and Innocent:

August - October 2007

November 2007 - January 2008

February - July 2008

August - December 2008

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Profile of the rangers:

Innocent -

Head of gorilla monitoring in the Mikeno sector. He has worked in Virunga National Park more than 10 years. His father is a patrol post chief. His brother was also a high-level ranger, but was killed in the line of service in November 1996.

Diddy -

Head of tourism in the southern sector of Virunga National Park. He has been a ranger for 18 years and started working with the gorillas in the Mikeno Sector in 1991. He was forced to flee from his work from 1997-2001 during the nation's civil war.

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