Source: wwf.panda.org

Laws for illegal hunting were not only not rigid in the national park of the Virunga Volcanoes, but also, park conservators were often bribed and were paid a low salary. This led to an increase in poaching activities.

Gorillas by nature, will fight to death to protect their family and their young against danger. As a result of poaching, many adult gorillas were killed by poachers in an attempt to protect their young gorillas from getting abducted by the poachers for ¹commercial purposes.

Great ape skulls seized at customs. Source: wwf.panda.org

With the help of the then Digit Fund, now Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Fossey financed her own patrols to destroy the poachers’ traps and snares in the Karisoke study area.

One very significant case of baby gorillas being sold off to the zoo would be the case of Coco and Pucker. Read more about them through the sub menu links above!

¹Gorillas’ head were used as decorations, hands and feet as ashtray. Young gorillas were being sold to zoos.