The Congolese Government has arrested the Superintendent of the national park where the Gorilla killings have been happening this year. He is suspected of being involved in orchestrating their killings. Apparently, the park rangers have become a little too effective protecting the gorillas and the park and began to upset those in the black market trade of charcoal. Yes, charcoal.
The killings were a "message" to rangers to back off.
Gorillas = need to protect forest.
No gorillas = no need to protect forest.
Harvesting the charcoal apparently leads to significant damage to the park.
Human rights groups would, however, like to point out that 40,000 people are killed each month in eastern Congo as a result of the conflict there. A few gorilla killings attract worldwide attention but killing 40,000 Congolese doesn't make the news.
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