Congo Volcano And The Wildlife

Many wild animals in the forests around Congo's Nyiragongo volcano are likely to be harmed by the torrent of lava, ash and sulfurous gas pouring from the crater, wildlife experts said on January 19.

Nyiragongo is one of eight volcanoes on the borders of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, a region dense with tropical forests and famously home to rare mountain gorillas.

However the gorillas inhabit only the slopes of the six dormant volcanoes, and experts said they should be safe from direct impact from the destruction inflicted by Nyiragongo on the town of Goma (east of Congo) and nearby forest.

Head of the International Gorilla Conservation Program said: "It is unlikely that the forest the gorillas inhabit will be affected greatly. However, chimpanzees and other wildlife in the forest around Nyiragongo will probably be devastated."

Another expert of the wildlife said the recent eruption would affect every level of the mountain's ecosystem, from worms to primates.

Only about 650 mountain gorillas remain in the world, and more than half of those inhabit the slopes of the six dormant Virunga volcanoes. They are ranked as critically endangered by international wildlife conventions.

© 2002 - Khorsheed.com - Feb 2002