Rare Silverback Gorilla Named Rafiki Has Been Killed By Hunters In Uganda
One of the best-known silverback gorillas of Uganda has been killed by hunters.
Rafiki, the 25-year-old gorilla, died in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park earlier this month.
It is said that the silverback gorilla went missing on June 1, 2020.
His body was found by the authorities by a search party a day after he went missing.
It is thought that Rafiki died after the spear was thrown at him, which penetrated his internal organs.
After the death of the rare silverback gorilla, 4 men were arrested by the police and are currently facing life in prison and a fine of $5.4 million if they are found guilty in killing the animal.
Mountain gorillas, who are also known as Silverback Gorillas, are currently listed as endangered by the IUCN red list.
There are over 1,000 mountain gorillas in existence right now.
The UWA (Uganda Wildlife Authority) has described the loss of Rafiki as a very big blow.
Bashir Hangi, a member of the UWA, said:
The death of Rafiki leaves the group unstable and there is the possibility that it could disintegrate. It has no leadership at this time and it could be taken over by a wild silverback.
Before his death, Rafiki was the leader of Nkuringo Gorilla Group, which has 17 gorillas.
— Uganda Wildlife (@ugwildlife) June 12, 2020
Byamukama Felix, one of the hunters, said that he had to kill the gorilla in an act of self-defense. The hunter said that Rafiki charged at him.
Authorities found a spear and a number of hunting tools in the house of Felix, when asked, he said that he had gone hunting for smaller animals in the park when he and 3 others stumbled upon the Nkuringo group.
The group of gorillas is described as habituated, which means that they are used to human contact.
The death of Rafiki is believed to have a huge impact on the gorillas that are living in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and the conservations that are working there.
We demand justice for Rafiki!