• UK
  • World
    • USA
  • Entertainment
    • Celeb
    • Showbiz
    • Magazine
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Gaming
  • Tech
  • Science
    • Education
  • Insurance
  • Business
  • Auto
  • ToS/Contact
    • ToS
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
NewsExplored
  • UK
  • World
    • USA
  • Entertainment
    • Celeb
    • Showbiz
    • Magazine
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Gaming
  • Tech
  • Science
    • Education
  • Insurance
  • Business
  • Auto
  • ToS/Contact
    • ToS
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • LinkedIn

  • Tumblr

  • RSS

Science

Killer of Rafiki, Uganda’s rare silverback mountain gorilla, jailed

Killer of Rafiki, Uganda’s rare silverback mountain gorilla, jailed
Newsexplored
30th July 2020
5
SHARES
ShareTweet
SubscribeRedditGoogleWhatsappStumbleuponPinterestDiggLinkedinTumblrTelegram
Views:
1
RafikiImage copyright Uganda Wildlife Authority
Image caption Rafiki was thought to be 25 years old when he died

The killer of one of Uganda’s best known mountain gorillas, Rafiki, has been jailed for 11 years.

Felix Byamukama pleaded guilty to illegally entering a protected area and killing a gorilla.

Byamukama had said the gorilla attacked him and he killed Rafiki in self defence, according to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).

Mountain gorillas are endangered with just over 1,000 in existence and the UWA said “Rafiki has received justice”.

Byamukama also pleaded guilty to killing a small antelope, known as a duiker, and a bush pig, as well as being in possession of bush pig and duiker meat.

He admitted to the UWA previously that he, and three others, had gone to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with the intention of hunting smaller animals and that he killed Rafiki in self-defence when he was attacked.

Investigations showed Rafiki was killed by a sharp object that penetrated his internal organs.

The gorilla went missing on 1 June and his body was discovered by a search party the following day.

A UWA team tracked Byamukama to a nearby village, where he was found with hunting equipment.

Three others denied the charges and have been remanded in jail, awaiting trial.

Byamukama will serve several sentences concurrently, leading to 11 years in jail which falls far short of the life sentence it was predicted he could have been given.

data-ad-format="auto">

This was because he was not tried in a special wildlife court, a UWA spokesperson told the BBC.

Image copyright Uganda Wildlife Authority
Image caption There are just over 1,000 mountain gorillas left in existence

The silverback, believed to be around 25-years-old when he died, was the leader of a group of 17 mountain gorillas.

This group of gorillas was described as habituated, meaning that its members were used to human contact.

Conservationists were worried that the group would be taken over by a wild silverback who would not want to come into contact with humans, which could have affected tourism.


But UWA has since confirmed that the group is now led by a black-back from within the family and is stable.

The mountain gorillas are a popular draw for visitors to the country and the UWA relies on the tourists for revenue.

Rafiki himself was very popular with people who had come to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

But parks have been closed during the coronavirus pandemic and the UWA said there had been an increase in poaching. It has counted more than 300 incidents during the months of the lockdown, reports the BBC’s Patience Atuhaire.

The mountain gorilla species is restricted to protected areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda.

They can be found in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and a network of parks in the Virunga Massif range of mountains which straddle the borders of the three countries.

In 2018, the mountain gorilla was removed from the list of critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, after intensive conservation efforts, including anti-poaching patrols, paid off.

The IUCN now classifies the species as endangered.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Share on Skype (Opens in new window)

Related

Related Itemsgorillajailedkillermountainrafikisilverbackuganda
Science
30th July 2020
Newsexplored @newsexploredweb

Related Itemsgorillajailedkillermountainrafikisilverbackuganda

More in Science

  • Read More
    What’s the science behind closing schools?

    Views:1 By Will FyfeBBC News media captionDr Heather Payne says school drop off and pick-ups created “social...

    Newsexplored 30th July 2020
  • Read More
    Coronavirus: Virus provides leaps in scientific understanding

    Views:1 By Victoria GillScience correspondent, BBC News image copyrightGetty Images image captionA worker takes away an escaped...

    Newsexplored 30th July 2020
  • Read More
    What is Elon Musk’s Starship?

    Views:1 By Paul RinconScience editor, BBC News website image copyrightGetty Images image captionSpaceX has been developing a...

    Newsexplored 30th July 2020
  • Read More
    Cancelled exams are a ‘big disappointment’

    Views:1 image captionJake did not want exams to be cancelled “It’s a big disappointment,” says 17-year-old Jake...

    Newsexplored 30th July 2020
  • Read More
    Hawaiian shirts and gravy: Christmas tributes for loved ones lost to Covid

    Views:1 Christmas is different for everyone this year but especially for the thousands of UK families who...

    Newsexplored 30th July 2020
  • Read More
    Giant Antarctic iceberg A68a is not done yet

    Views:1 By Jonathan AmosBBC Science Correspondent media captionSee how the keel of the giant iceberg has changed...

    Newsexplored 30th July 2020
  • Read More
    England ‘significant decline’ in global science tests

    Views:1 By Sean CoughlanBBC News family and education correspondent image copyrightTIMSS image captionThe maths and science tests...

    Newsexplored 30th July 2020
  • Read More
    Covid: Some students not back until February next term

    Views:1 By Sean CoughlanBBC News family and education correspondent image copyrightReuters image captionStudents have been taking Covid...

    Newsexplored 30th July 2020
  • Read More
    Covid: How might GCSE and A-levels work this summer?

    Views:1 By Branwen JeffreysEducation Editor image copyrightGetty Images A-levels and GCSEs in England are due to go...

    Newsexplored 30th July 2020
  • Read More
    Special educational needs support ‘offered after exclusion’

    Views:1 By Kayleen DevlinBBC Ouch image copyrightEmily image captionEmily says she feels let down by the system...

    Newsexplored 30th July 2020
  • Read More
    Sentinel-6: ‘Dog kennel’ satellite blasts off on ocean mission

    Views:1 By Jonathan AmosBBC Science Correspondent Related Topics media captionArtwork: The unusual shape, with fixed solar panels,...

    Newsexplored 30th July 2020
  • Read More
    Electric vehicles: Your questions answered

    Views:1 By Justin RowlattChief environment correspondent image copyrightReuters image captionIn a decade, you won’t be able to...

    Newsexplored 30th July 2020
Scroll for more
Tap
data-ad-format="auto">
NewsExplored

NewsExplored - Making sure all the latest news is explored?

Contact us for help

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • Comments

  • Trump pardons two convicted by Russia investigation
    USA23rd December 2020
  • New coronavirus variant: What do we know?
    UK20th December 2020
  • Kieran Trippier suspended for 10 weeks over breaches of betting rules
    Sports23rd December 2020
  • The Papers: UK and EU on ‘verge’ of Brexit trade deal
    UK23rd December 2020
  • Biden inauguration rehearsal paused amid US Capitol lockdown
    USA18th January 2021
  • Migrant caravan: Guatemala blocks thousands bound for US
    USA18th January 2021
  • Trump impeachment: When will he go on trial in the Senate?
    USA16th January 2021
  • Joe Biden unveils $1.9tn US economic relief package
    USA15th January 2021
  • Les Rehrer says:

    Hello Its me :P and thanks for this post

  • optumrx login says:

    Thank For News.

  • Kent Laatsch says:

    Please let me know if you're looking for a writer…

  • Bob says:

    RT News was where I learned that Erdogan controlled isis.…

Copyright © 2018 Top News Theme. Theme by MVP Themes, powered by Wordpress.

Extinction: Quarter of UK mammals ‘under threat’
How many Mars missions have been successful?
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok