Gorillas Survive Amid Gunfire: Rangers Defy War to Protect Congo's Wildlife

In the heart of a conflict zone, a small team of park rangers is achieving the impossible. While armed groups fight across eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), these rangers have kept key wildlife safe inside Maiko National Park. The park is home to endangered Grauer’s gorillas and forest elephants. For years, it has been surrounded by violent clashes between the Congolese army and various rebel forces. Despite the danger, a dedicated unit continues its patrols. They have successfully prevented poaching and habitat destruction within the park's boundaries. Alain Mukiranya, the park's assistant director, explained the difficult reality to RFI. His rangers operate in isolation, cut off by the fighting. They lack resources and face constant physical threat. Their work proves that conservation does not stop during a war. The survival of these animal populations in Maiko offers a rare note of hope in a region long defined by crisis.