Animal cruelty is all around us. It’s an unfortunate, all too real truth. Sometimes the people who hunt for sport don’t just go for deer. Plenty of people are set on getting their hands on a much larger, more endangered creature like an elephant, lion, or giraffe. It’s inhumane and unfair, and park rangers around the world do their best to help out with animal conservation and protect these beautiful animals, but that doesn’t always work. Poachers can be sneaky, and they’ll do whatever it takes to get what they want.
This is a story that has struck the hearts of everybody that’s heard it. Patrick Karabaranga is a park ranger known for consoling a sad gorilla whose mother was killed by poachers. Patrick was clearly just as distraught as the monkey. After all, park rangers put themselves at risk each day as a means of protecting these wild animals, so when they lose a creature to inhumane treatment, they grieve as well. It’s a big loss not only for those who are directly affected, but for the world as a whole.
The poachers’ selfish act caused three mountain gorillas to become orphans, thus left behind in Virunga National Park in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. When their parents were killed, the gorillas were brought in by park rangers to be taken care of and, hopefully, given a safe haven. Poaching and attempts to smuggle these beautiful animals out of national parks are cause for some of the great losses faced. The park is home to over 200 mountain gorillas, which means this habitat holds about a quarter of the world’s mountain gorilla population!
Watch this video to understand the compassion shared between this ranger and this gorilla. It’s a sad moment, but a beautiful connection between two species. Don’t forget to leave a comment below and share this amazing story with your friends!
