Published 07:21 IST, June 13th 2020
Uganda: Four men arrested for killing popular 25-year-old gorilla Rafiki at UNESCO park
Ugandan wildlife authorities have arrested four men in connection with the killing of a 25-year-old popular male gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
- World News
- 2 min read
Ugandan wildlife authorities have arrested four men in connection with the killing of a 25-year-old popular male gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park on Friday, June 12. The silverback gorilla, named Rafiki, was the leader of the Nkuringo - a gorilla group and was hugely popular among tourists. Rafiki went missing on June 1 and his body was found the next day after a search operation was launched by the wildlife authority.
UWA in an official statement informed that a detailed investigation was carried out following the death of the Silverback gorilla and the post-mortem report revealed that the ape sustained an injury by a sharp device/object that penetrated the left upper part of his abdomen, injuring internal organs.
The statement further revealed that UWA investigators had found the main suspect in a nearby village on June 4. At the time of arrest, the suspect was caught with the meat of bush pig and several other hunting devices including a spear, rope snares, wires snares, and a dog hunting bell.
According to UWA, the man confessed to killing Rafiki in self-defence when he came upon the gorilla while hunting for a wild pig in the park. The four suspects are currently at Kisoro police station awaiting trial in the court of law.
About Nkuringo group
Rafiki belonged to the famous Nkuringo group: the first group to be habituated in the park in 1997. At the time of Rafiki's death, the group had 17 members, including one silverback (Rafiki), three blackbacks, eight adult females, two juveniles, and three infants.
Updated 07:21 IST, June 13th 2020