Rebels have seized an area in eastern Congo that serves as a wildlife habitat for the endangered mountain gorilla, imperiling one of the last known populations of the rare animal, conservationists said.
Shelling and heavy gunfire could be heard from the headquarters of the Virunga National Park and rangers were forced to flee over the weekend, the international conservation group WildlifeDirect said on Sunday.
Only 700 mountain gorillas exist in the world, of which more than half live in the Virunga conservation area, a huge swath of territory at the intersection of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda.
Rebels loyal to warlord Laurent Nkunda have frequently battled over the park in their clashes with the army.
Caught in the crossfire are the rare gorillas, 10 of which have been killed this year.
"This is a human conflict that is involving the mountain gorillas. They are not a target, but can so easily get caught in crossfire and shelling," said Emmanuel de Merode, the director of WildlifeDirect.
"We still cannot protect our gorillas. This conflict has no place in the park, least of all in the habitat of these animals. We hope they will be unharmed," said Norbert Mushenzi, director of the southern section of the park for the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature.
The area containing the mountain gorillas was also attacked in January, when two silverbacks were killed.
Four months ago, the body of a female gorilla was found. Conservationists say she was killed execution style.
