From: Naraku

To: African Wildlife Defense Force

The grievance that I have with the Wildlife Defense Force.

The is a serious grievance that I do have this the Wildlife Defense Force. There is not enough
attention being put into the defending of our mountain gorillas. I feel that’s needed to change as
soon as possible. It is very sad to say that gorillas are killed for no apparent reason, with the
bodies left at the scene or poachers would just take the bodies and sell. Conservationists call such
murders “executions” and consider such incidents as attempts to crush conservation efforts in the
region. With such a small number of mountain gorillas left, it will be very difficult to ensure
their survival and thriving for the future. There need to be more numbers on the deployment of
troops to help defend poaching.
Funding allocated
I understand there is a lack of funding and support but I believe a lot more can be done. The
AWDF is a non-profit African private ranger organization, 80% of the organization's revenue is
spent on its programs, while 20% of revenue is spent on administration and fundraising. It is
supported by private and corporate donations, internet advertising and grants. The group is
operated by both paid rangers and volunteers. The focus must shift from “inputs” (e.g.,
investment dollars) and “outputs” (e.g., training) to “outcomes” produced directly because of
conservation investments (e.g., species and habitats). I personally feel there needs to be more of
an investment on security for the park. They have to constantly deal with poaching targeting the
mountain gorillas for financial gain. Poaching of these apes for food (“bushmeat”), medicine and
trophies is currently probably the most serious threat faced by gorillas.
Conclusion
There needs to be a serious sit down, so we can speak about what can we do to work together to
fix this issue and how can we move forward from here. We need to take control of our rain forest
and the habitat that lives among us. Unlike the more common lowland gorillas of western Africa,
which tend to be solitary, the mountain gorillas generally live in harmonious groups. Therefore, I
will continue studying other ways we can conserve these precious animals and I will always fight
for the preservation of this national rain forest.