Hippo’s Bones
Category: My Rangers, Virunga National Park | Date: Feb 04 2008 | By: admin
During the Advance Force’s training with Major M’Poka, we spent the last week of the 3 months session going out on patrol in Ishango, practicing the learned techniques.
And doing data collection for ICCN flora and fauna records:
During the Congolese liberation war in 1997, unfortunately many hippos were killed. You can still find the bones dispersed all around Mahiya area.
January’s Donations: Thank You!
Category: My Rangers, Virunga National Park | Date: Feb 02 2008 | By: admin
To all my supporters, readers and commentators, a big thank you for all your contributions.
Below is the list of January’s donations:
Theresa S. $50.00 (for supplies)
Wanda H. $20.00 (monthly donation)
Angel S. $50.00 monthly donation)
Pirjo I. $50.00 (monthly donation)
Collecting Wood
Category: My Rangers, Out on Patrol, Virunga National Park | Date: Jan 30 2008 | By: admin
This is a women’s job. And they need a permit to do so.
Woman showing her permit to collect wood
During one patrol day in Ishango, we found a group of women collecting dead wood from the forest.
They were very deep inside, 10 km into the forest, and this can be dangerous, for there is a lot of wildlife and something can happen to them. They had no permit, we had to confiscate their load and machetes.
How did we Celebrate?
Category: Life in Mutsora, Meeting Elie..., My Rangers | Date: Jan 15 2008 | By: admin
My Rangers of the Advance Force and myself celebrated Christmas Day in Ishango, away from our families, because we are under training session with Mayor M’Poka.
We had a big meal, cooked a goat, and had a beer each!
Some words from M’Poka while waiting to be served.
That same 25th of December, MONUC officials from India came down to visit us.
Training goes to Ishango
Category: My Rangers, Virunga National Park | Date: Jan 11 2008 | By: admin
Dear Supporters, a quick update on the Advance Force’s position. We are all here in Ishango continuing with the training with Mayor M’Poka.
The tents where we sleep
Getting the field ready for work
Maybe you have read in the Gorilla Blog that I was yesterday in Mutsora helping MGVP to gather the food for the orphans.
But I will be back in Ishango today to continue with the practice.
Views of Ishango and the sunset in Semliki River
Major M’Poka getting our shooting training session ready
Girl Ranger
Category: Life in Mutsora, My Rangers | Date: Nov 24 2007 | By: admin
Meet Rebecca, 28 years old, the first girl ever to apply for a position in the Advance Force.
She has become a park Ranger one month ago, and is now training very hard to become one of our team.
After the three month training period with Major M’Poka finishes, will see whether she passes all the exams. We wish her all the best.
My Memorial for Ranger Gasusa
Category: My Rangers, Virunga National Park | Date: Nov 11 2007 | By: admin
I am sorry this is not a happy post, but I would like to write today to honor Ranger Gasusa who died on the 11th of October, during an unfortunate car accident.
The picture below shows him some time just before the accident. He participated on an intelligence work carried out to stop a trafficking ring in the Mikeno Sector.
Ranger Gasusa on the far left
Thank you all for your constant support to the Congo Rangers - some 120 whom have died in the last 10 years in the line of service.
Training the Advance Force
Category: Life in Mutsora, My Rangers | Date: Oct 31 2007 | By: admin
Special training has started today for the Rangers of the Advance Force.
This images were taking early this morning, physical activities started at 5:30am. And it will be like this for the next three months.
The purpose of this training is to achieve better conservation outcomes, improve the Advance Force’s command and control structures, increase their operational capacities. They will be working on drill, fitness discipline, patrol techniques, shooting, first aid.
Training will take place between Mutsora and Ishango.
Joseph Aloma on the far right.
This initiative is carried out by FZS, and Major M’Poka has been hired to run the program. He is a Congolese ex Special Forces.
Major M’Poka conducting the training, with the blue tracksuit.
Poaching in Lubiriha
Category: My Rangers, Out on Patrol, Virunga National Park | Date: Oct 28 2007 | By: admin
The threat of increasing population moving inside the Park limits in Lubiriha has obliged us to deploy several patrols of the Advance Force during the last two months.
Poachers are setting up fires in big open spaces, so new grass can grow, attrackting antilopes and other animals to come and feed. They set up the traps thus making it an easy target for them to catch their victims.
Here with the poachers we caught, taking them into custody in Mutsora.
Raising awareness for the Rangers in Bristol, UK: Kevin
Category: My Rangers | Date: Sep 17 2007 | By: admin
This is Samantha from WildlifeDirect.
Kevin from England, who sponsors Jules, just sent this via email. I called Elie (who is at Rumangabo HQ) and he asked me to post it for him on his blog.
“We had the carnival in Bristol on the weekend, one of the best days I’ve had in years, got the t-shirts printed and handed out 2000 leaflets, the feedback from people was amazing, asking questions about wildlife direct and the rangers, everybody was well behind the cause and I can definitely say awareness has been raised in Bristol.
Unfortunately, my live set never happened because the police shut down the sound system because there were too many people and they wanted it to finish at 1am.
It seems funny doesn’t it, 1000’s of people having a good time with no trouble yet the police still wanted it shut down! Please find some photos of the daytime, I’d love to see it up Ellie’s blog. The little girl is my daugter Gracie who will be 2 in November.
Hope all is peaceful in the Congo.”
He also sent these photos:
Kevin lobbying for the Rangers
Kevin posing for the camera!
And Gracie must be the star of the day.
\And Kevin’s friend who helped organize and paid for half the t-shirts and printing.
Technorati : congo, drc, gorilla, iccn, ranger, wildlifedirect
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