Ugrožene gorile u Kongu

U Demokratskoj Republici Kongo je od početka godine ubijeno deset divljih planinskih gorila. Nevladina organizacija za zaštitu životne sredine Vajldlajf dajrekt (Wildlife Direct) saopštila je da su, između ostalog, pobunjeničke grupe u Kongu pokušale da prisile čuvare nacionalnih parkova da im se pridruže u borbi protiv vladinih trupa. Izveštaj je poslao Piter Gresti:

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The coincidence couldn't be more unfortunate. The forest that half the world's surviving mountain gorillas call home, also happened to be one of the most strategically important regions to rebels fighting government troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

An uneasy truce that had lasted for years finally broke down five weeks ago, forcing most of the wildlife rangers protecting the gorillas to flee to nearby towns. Some had been able to take advantage of a recent stalemate to return to the forests and monitor two gorilla families, but now all have been driven out. According to Wildlife Direct, which supports the rangers, the rebels even tried to force some to join their fight. Rangers sheltering in a nearby town reported hearing shelling and heavy gunfire from the forests.

Wildlife Direct's Samantha Newport said without the rangers the mountain gorillas are completely unprotected and unmonitored. There are only about seven hundred gorillas left in the wild; according to the last census, some three hundred and eighty of them in the eastern Congo. They aren't targets in this fight but according to Wildlife Direct they could so easily get caught in the crossfire. With so few left in the wild even one death represents a significant loss.

Peter Greste, BBC News, Johannesburg

Čujte reči

couldn't be more unfortunate
ne postoji gori, veoma je loš

call home
naziva svojim domom, živi na određenom mestu

strategically important
strateški važno, od strateške važnosti

uneasy truce
teško održivo primirje, primirje koje nije lako očuvati

broke down
završilo se, okončano (nastavkom borbi)

wildlife rangers
čuvari nacionalnog parka, šumari

driven out
bili su primorani da napuste / pobegnu

in the wild
u divljini, u svojoj prirodnoj sredini (ne u zoo vrtu)

census
popis (s ciljem uzimanja statističkog uzorka)

get caught in the crossfire
biti slučajno povređen ili ubijen u razmeni vatre između dve sukobljene strane