Archive for the ‘Life in Mutsora’ Category
There is a shooting range at Mutsora where I regularly help to train the Congo Rangers with their shooting skills.
The range is very basic, but it is necessary that our men practice as much as is possible as when they are out on patrol, they will often encounter poachers with weapons.
Because of the war, there are a lot of weapons in Congo and it is possible to purchase an AK47 for just $20.
And so we too must be armed so that we can protect the wildlife here in Virunga National Park.
I wanted to share with you some pictures of me at my house in Mutsora.
Above you can see me in our living-room, next to my stereo, which I listen to most evenings when I’m here as it is a good way to find out all the news from across Congo. And below you can see my wife, Beatrice, relaxing at the end of the day in the porch to our house.
I am often away from my family when out on patrol, and so it is always good to get home for some rest and, of course, some great cooking.
Following the birth of Samantha, I want to also share with you the photos from the wedding of one of our men from the 2nd Troop, Kambale Mulewa, and his wife Jeanette Muhongya.
The ceremony started at seven in the morning in the Catholic Church of Mutwanga, which is just outside of the park at Mutsora.
And was followed by a small tour of the town in the ICCN vehicle.
It’s a small journey of a few kilometres, but it gave everyone a chance to see the bride and groom and join in with the festivities.
Below you can see a video of the tour when it was outside the Hotel de la Neige (The Hotel of Snow), where visiting guards stay when they come to Mutsora for training. And here you can see me with Mulawe, helping the bride down from the vehicle.
Afterwards we went to the house of Mulawe, and asked for God to bless the new couple.
And then we gave gifts to the bride and the groom.
The ceremonies were followed by lots of dancing, which continued for the rest of the day.
And here you can see us with Will from the WildlifeDirect team, looking at all of the photos of the wedding.
And here I am with Mulawe, the once happy groom and now happy husband.
Dear Friends… My name is Elie Mundima Nkuba and I am the Commander of the Advance Force of Rangers in Virunga National Park, in the east of Democratic Republic of Congo. I am 41 years old and I have been a Ranger for over 17 years. I am married with 7 children, and we all live in Mutsora, a village just inside the park.
I have received quite a lot of training over the years, including as an alpine mountain guide and in Wildife Management. We recently received an intensive 6-month training course as part of the formation of the Advance Force, which is the group of elite rangers in the park. Over the years I have worked all over the park, which is actually Africa’s oldest national park, established in 1925. I have worked directly to protect the Mountain Gorillas in the Mikeno sector, which borders Rwanda and Uganda. I have also been involved in anti-poaching patrols in Garamba in the north to protect the park from Sudanese groups who enter the park to hunt. Our greatest challenge is protecting the Mountain Gorillas and other wildlife in the park. Many of our rangers have died protecting Mountain Gorillas from land invasions, poachers and rebels – nearly 100 in the last 10 years - but so far we have been fairly successful. The population of Gorillas actually has increased by about 14% during the terrible civil war that has affected our country since 1996. The war is officially over, but the weapons, and the militias, are still around.
We’re short of support. We rarely get our salaries from the government (and subsequently we are helped by donations from abroad) and we struggle to provide rations and equipment for patrols. Part of the reason is that we are so isolated, which is why I am so grateful for this blog and your support. This blog will be a diary of our efforts to protect the Mountain Gorillas of Virunga and other wildlife in the park. My wish is that this blog might inspire others, wherever they are in the world, to join in our struggle to protect our Mountain Gorillas who are now on the edge of extinction. I am also eager to know more about you all. This is a very new experience for me, and I must say I am very much looking forward to it. My very very best from Virunga National Park, Elie Mundima |
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