Mountain Gorilla
Photographer: Brent Stirton
Date: July 2007
Location: Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo
Brent Stirton photographed rangers from Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo carrying the body of Senkwekwe, a silverback mountain gorilla, through the forest in July 2007. Senkwekwe was one of seven mountain gorillas from a habituated group who were killed in a series of incidents in the park. The killings, which prompted an international outcry, were later linked to conflicts over illegal charcoal production in the park — a major source of income for armed groups operating in the region. Stirton's photograph, published in National Geographic, won the World Press Photo award. Mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) are classified as endangered; intensive conservation efforts have helped the population grow from fewer than 700 individuals in the early 2000s to approximately 1,000 today.
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