In Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, two rangers, one soldier and five militiamen were killed and three soldiers were wounded on Oct. 25 when rangers patrolling with an army escort were attacked by militiamen from the Mai Mai Pareco group.
Virunga Park is home to about half of the world’s surviving mountain gorillas but has essentially closed down to tourism due to years of fighting between government troops and groups of armed rebels and militia, who have taken control of various areas of the park. More than 130 of the park’s rangers have been killed since 1996.
Gorilla trekking is still available in Uganda’s nearby Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.