Sickening images of poachers posing with a dead gorilla that was shot dead has sparked anger amongst animal rights activists.
Pictures of the sick act were shared by the L’Association Gorilla, a conservation group, and they show a group of men armed with hunting rifles standing around the magnificent beast.
The gorilla was shot dead illegally, suggesting the men in the picture may have been responsible.
It is believed that the images were taken near Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo.
The L’Association Gorilla posted the horrible images along with the caption: “This is what we would never want to see again…”
They added, “These shocking images of a beautiful plains gorilla shot in all illegal, exposed by unconscious hunters, were taken only a few days ago in the Western Congo Bowl Department Brazzaville.”
They continued, “Let us remember once again that the slaughter of protected species is strictly forbidden by Congolese law.”
The Welfare Coalition Ape Alliance called the killing of the gorillas as a “crime against nature.”
Wild gorillas are under the threat from poachers, deforestation, lack of care, and diseases.
According to the WWF, over 1,000 mountain gorillas are left living in the wild.
Poaching continues unabated due to a lack of enforcement of national and international laws, couples with ineffective judiciary systems.
Apes, monkeys, and gorillas are killed primarily to supply high-end demand for meat in urban centers.
Ape meat is considered as prestigious amongst the wealthy elite.
The commercial trade in bushmeat, which occurs in the west and Central Africa, is the biggest threat to gorillas.
Such a horrible act, we hope authorities will track down the people in the picture and arrest them so they can pay for the horrible acts they did.