Today I went to visit Kambale Mulonda, the Ranger who was shot in the Mai Mai attack on the gorilla sector of Tshiaberimu at the end of May. Kambale is from Mutsora, so he has come here to continue his recovery.

I asked him some questions, and this is what he had to say:

How are you feeling?

I am feeling better but I still have pain in my leg and take pills every day. I was shot twice, once in the upper thigh and once in the calf, both times in my left leg. The Mai Mai was only about 2 meters away. I have come to Mutsora because this is my home and I want to be with my wife and family to recover.

How long will you be off work?

I think I will not be able to go to work for about 6 months. That is what the doctors say. I must walk with a crutch still.

Do you want to go back to work?

Despite what has happened I still like my job. When I first got shot I thought about stopping being a Ranger. But now I want to go back to work. My job is important because I protect animals and nature. I love all animals, especially the gorillas in Tshiaberimu.

Where do you want to work? Back in Tshiaberimu?

Well we cannot choose where we work. We must move around patrol posts as we are told by our commanders at ICCN. That is how it works. So I will go wherever I am sent. I have been with ICCN for 12 years and worked at many different posts throughout Virunga National Park.

Are you afraid of being a Ranger?

No. When I was shot I got up to go outside to fight. But there were many Mai Mai and I could see they were waiting for me. But now that I have been shot I am not longer scared of being shot again.

Kambale with his wife and children. He has 8 children.

Here I am helping Kambale get lined up for the photo outside his house.

All his family and friends were looking on as we spoke in his house.

And here Kambale showed me the bullet wounds - you can see one in the thigh and one in the calf. Entry and exit wounds. He is still in pain.

Technorati : congo, drc, gorilla, iccn, ranger, virunga

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