Virunga - A Truly Compelling Wildlife Documentary
I recently viewed this stunning, Oscar-nominated documentary (available on Netflix), and I can’t say enough good things about it. It feels more like a thriller—it’s extremely suspenseful—yet it is also incredibly moving.
There are only 800 remaining mountain gorillas on Earth. Located in The Congo, Virunga National Park is a World Heritage site and home to about one quarter of these gorillas. The park encompasses one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world, and contains more mammal, bird and reptile species than any other protected area in Africa.
In the last 20 years alone, 130 rangers have been murdered while trying to protect Virunga. The park’s director survived an assassination attempt just last year. Multiple groups—driven by survival or greed—exploit Virunga’s resources with poaching and other illegal operations.
To complicate matters, oil was discovered within the park, and a British company named SOCO continues to operate there in direct violation of international laws.
Here’s the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu-vjWd7Tb8
To find out more about the park and the people trying to save it, see this link: http://virungamovie.com/
man and gorilla 2
A quiet moment with a dedicated man.