Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Gorillas pose for selfie with DR Congo
anti-poaching unit
Located in the east of Democratic Republic
Congo, Virunga National Park is a national park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and
the most biologically diverse protected area in Africa. Since the region has suffered
from wars and armed conflicts for over 20 years, the park is protected by 600 trained
and dedicated rangers. Facing armed poachers and militants, their jobs and
lives are no safer than critically endangered mountain gorillas that are
protected in the park. In fact, over 130 park rangers have been killed since
1996.
There, two infant gorillas were rescued by the
park rangers in 2007 right after their mothers were killed by poachers. Those
two female gorillas have been raised by the park’s caretakers ever since and seem
to have learned a lot from them. Now, when the rangers who rescued them took a
selfie photo, those two gorillas posed just like humans. One stood straight proudly
in a power pose with her feet wide apart, and the other leaned forward to be taken
her photo.
Did they also smile when they saw the photo with
the ranger?
Enjoy seeing the photo and think about what
primates could learn from humans.
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