On Tuesday tracker John Ndayambaje spotted a trap very close to the Kuryama gorilla clan. He moved in to deactivate the snare, but a silverback named Vubu grunted, cautioning Ndayambaje to stay away. Instead two juvenilesâRwema, a male; and Dukore, a female; both about four years oldâran toward the trap. According to Ndayambaje, âRwema jumped on the bent tree branch and broke it, while Dukore freed the noose.â The pair then spied another snare nearbyâone the tracker himself had missedâand destroyed that trap as well. Vecellio believes this wasnât the first time the young gorillas had performed such teamwork. âThey were very confident,â she said. âThey saw what they had to do, they did it, and then they left.âThe traps, however, are not meant for gorillas but for antelopes. Apparently the laws protecting the gorillas have been too effective:
Due to the illegality of hunting gorillas, the hunters often leave them to die [in their traps], not wanting to be caught selling or in possession of the body.
Those are the African poachers. These, however, are average American and European consumers killing, of all animals, gentle giraffes. Who is more barbaric: a poor poacher or a rich consumer? You know my answer.