Oct 30 2007
CBS 60 Minutes Interviews Congo Rangers about Gorilla Crisis
I just got back in from spending the day with Director Mushenzi, Diddy, Innocent, Augustin Kambale (from Bukima patrol post) and… CBS 60 Minutes.
Anderson Cooper and his team have come for a few days to Goma to cover the plight of the Mountain Gorillas following the July massacre and the current fighting that is preventing the Rangers from protecting this imperiled species.
Filming was done up at Kibati, at the foot of the Nyragongo volcano just outside of Goma.
Because of fighting we were not able to take the crew to Rumangabo. But the setting was beautiful. Diddy looks on…
Emmanuel from WildlifeDirect interviewed first. He has been working here since 1993.
Director Norbert Mushenzi was also asked for his perspective on what is happening at the moment.
Innocent, Augustin and Diddy spoke at length about their experiences with the gorillas, and what it was like on that terrible day in July when the Rugendo family was massacred.
Other Rangers were also filmed.
I have no idea when this program will air, but I will let you know when I do. Anderson Cooper is interviewing Rob Muir from FZS tomorrow and Paulin if he can make it here from Kinshasa. He was also in Rwanda yesterday, and met with the Gorilla Doctors and DFGF(I).
It is a significant opportunity for the Rangers to make their voices heard. This blog is excellent for that - but CBS 60 Minutes is quite frankly huge for them. These brave men have worked in total isolation for so many years, and it is them that we must support if we are to prevent the Mountain Gorillas of DR Congo from disappearing forever.
I just dropped Diddy off at the clinic and met his wife. She was up and about and looking well so that is excellent news.
Fighting is still going on. Yesterday it was 5 miles from Rumangabo park station. Today I think it is a little calmer. But tomorrow it will probably start again. Who knows.
Samantha
Technorati : anderson cooper, cbs, congo, drc, iccn, wildlifedirect
Daily news from the conservation frontline by Innocent and Diddy, and other Congolese rangers risking their lives to save mountain gorillas of the Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Hi Samantha:
Thanks for the update. How exciting! Has NPR done anything with the rangers? I listen to them every morning, but never hear anything. I’m going to write to them.
Also, I just left you a lengthy message on the health clinic blog. Hope to hear from you.
Thanks.
Thanks Samantha. That is good news about 60 minutes. It makes me wish I had cable. There’s no tv reception out here. I’m glad Diddy’s wife is doing good. My prayers for everyone’s safety ~Robin
This is wonderful news 60 minutes is huge. This will get the word out about what these wonderful men are doing. Hopefully this will even help with the war going on in your land. Thank you once again to all the rangers you are loved by us all maybe even moe then you know. As always you are in my prayers. I am so happy that the word is getting out!!
Hi Pam. As far as I know NPR has not covered the crisis with the Mountain Gorillas here. I do email them the press releases. In fact they are one of the few big ones if you like that have not contacted me. Them and the NY Times - so if you fancy bringing the plight of these creatures to their attention please go for it!
HOLY COW! I found out only recently that Anderson Cooper contributes to 60 Minutes. WOW! This is what we’ve been waiting for and I’m going to make sure everyone I know and their cousins watches this episode.
s.
Thank you Samantha; good news for the gorilla´s cause. I hope that the covering by CBS will help bringing funds and political action to protec the gorillas and help the rangers; is so needed now…
When this story airs we need to flood CBS and Anderson Cooper’s inboxes with thanks and postive comments. I’ve just now sent positive feedback to 60 Minutes and to Anderson’s feedback form on CNN.
We’ll keep bugging NPR and the NY Times, too.
s.
I love, love, love that Anderson Cooper!!!! I have emailed him several times about this issue and I will be sure to email him a huge, huge THANK YOU for doing this story. I agree Samantha, it is the Rangers that have been doing all of the hard work and they deserve all of our never ending support. THANK YOU RANGERS! I LOVE YOU TOO! Lisa
Oh, and I am so glad to hear that Diddy’s wife is up and around. Wishing them both the best. Lisa
Samantha — that is wonderful news! Maybe CBS and CNN got tired of hearing from us!!! I didn’t know Anderson Cooper contributes to that show…truly great…
Diddy –glad to hear your wife is starting to feel better!
Christine
Great news……This was needed very badly. Can’t wait to watch the show.
This is fantastic news, from what I gather the gorilla issue very close to Anderson Coopers heart. I came here to LA from England and I have to say that Anderson Cooper stands head and shoulders above any other journalist I have seen here. I don’t think he has mentioned Brittany Spears once!
Will thank him on his CNN website.
we are so happy that anderson cooper is covering the story….YEAH…..that means alot more people will see it…and it will help get exposure…….i hope your still getting my monthly donations……we went to the zoo today to see the gorillas (in washington dc)…
keep safe….xxx
plus we just saw this on animal planet this week…..the more exposure the better…..Saving a Species: Gorillas on the Brink
Actress Natalie Portman journeys deep into Rwanda’s rainforest in search of the rare mountain gorilla. World renowned animal expert Jack Hanna guides Natalie’s on her trek to learn more about this amazing endangered species.
the story also covered ndeze and what happened too……..
Anderson Cooper…perfect. A very intense reporter for a very intense story. Links tp NPR and NY Times anyone ??
AWESOME!!!!!!! THANK YOU Anderson Cooper! This is wonderful news and I hope it gets the word out there more……..finally someone was brave enough to take this on!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEA……
claire & finn: You were at the NZP today? I’m a volunteer on the Asia Trail. I’ll be on duty the 10th and 11th in the afternoon.
Here’s the link to NPR’s pitch page: http://www.npr.org/about/pitch/
s.
NY Times info:
The Editors
executive-editor@nytimes.com
managing-editor@nytimes.com
The Newsroom
news-tips@nytimes.com
s.
http://animal.discovery.com/tv-schedules/special.html?paid=15.15196.121769.0.0
Air times for Species on the Brink, which I haven’t seen yet because I was traveling.
s.
How about a links blog to put all these great links and addresses so they don’t end up buried by future updates ???
Yeah, I’ve been meaning to add a page to my blog with all this stuff, but then I went on vacation. I’ll do my best to get that taken care of this week. If anyone has stuff they want to add, send an e-mail message to me: nothoney@gmail.com
s.
Species on the brink was very touching! Natalie Portman and Jack Hanna (who I love!) did such a terrific job exposing this issue………watch it when you can!
WoW! Great news. Thank you, thank you Anderson Cooper. This is what we need. Some good big time coverange.
So glad to hear Diddy’s wife is doing
better. Hope she continues doing well.
All you rangers and families stay safe.
My thoughts and prayers are with you
in these troubled times. Take care.
TO: sheryl, washington dc … What is the URL of your blog?
Hey Jim
Here’s Sheryl’s blog: http://nothoney.wordpress.com/
Thanks, Will. My blog URL is linked to my name in my posts, y’all.
s.
This is great news !!!
They actually ARE listening to us –
I wrote “Ellen” twice but will do more this week - this is going to really help - thank goodness!
Jim and Sheryl — I am working with Samantha and Virginia to create a specialized links section on this website…hopefully it will be organized according to topic area, i.e. news stories, activism/fundraising, videos, shopping, etc…It is going to take some time to collect all the links from past blogs, so be patient, but it will happen!!
If “not honey”, what then?
Obviously “angelsiren” doesn’t watch Anderson’s show. He led with Britney Spears one night. They do what the producers tell them to do and do the stories that their bosses tell them to do.
Hi Samantha! As a member of DFGFI, I was so excited to hear this news! Anyone who watches Anderson’s show knows that he has a great interest in the mountain gorillas and has visited them on a number of occasions. I have been writing Anderson about doing a report since I heard about the silverback being killed by rebels in January and then again after the additional killings in July. I told him they desperately needed the publicity especially since most of the rangers had been forced out of Virunga National Park in September.
I can’t wait to see this report! I am sure it will bring much needed publicity to their cause!
Thanks for the photos!
Anderson Cooper is the best! There are some good video clips of him on DFGFI/gorillafund with orphans. So glad he is covering this tragic story on 60 Minutes with all the amazing people on the ground trying to save the mountain gorillas. Thanks for this!
Dear Claire & Finn,
The gorilla is an African speciality! There is one in Washington? Is it a lowland gorilla or mountain gorilla? I am afraid it is a mountain gorilla! Diddy
I share everyone’s concern re the mountain gorillas; it is very important that they be spared. However, I want to remind everyone that there is an even more important humanitarian crisis underway in North Kivu, and that hopefully Cooper and 60 Minutes will give appropriate attention to this part of the story.
Great News! Thank you 60 minutes.
Please let us know when the program will air. It is so important that the media steps in to provide updates!
Congatulations for your very important work.
[…] and his CBS 60 Minutes team came to film in DR Congo regarding the crisis in the Gorilla Sector. I blogged about […]
[…] one of the bloggers at Gorilla Protection, wrote about Anderson’s visit back in late October. Check it out. It is nice to see the mainstream media is covering this […]
Samantha, the program aired tonight. I thought it was very good.
For those who missed it, here’s the National Geographic video about the gorilla massacre:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/2007-12/gorilla-massacre/gorilla-massacre-video.html
Sept. of 2006 my son & I climbed up into the mountain & saw the gorillas, I believe the Umubam family. It was without a doubt one of the most amazing experiences of my life. To stand several feet away from this magnificent species was a privilege, a gift I will never forget. It’s heartbreaking to think others may never have this experience because of what is happening. The rangers & guides that risk their lives daily to ascort tourist groups are remarkable onto themselves. Unfortunately I missed the 60 Minute airing but hope it will be repeated sometime soon. Thank you Anderson for coverage on this very important issue!
Diddy,
Also, the 60 minutes special was came out very well, and my parents called me afterward to ask if the rangers on the show were the same group that I’d been telling them about (since I’d gone on and on about your blog!)
The gorillas at the National Zoo in D.C. are western lowlands. When I was young, I used to visit my relatives there every summer, and hanging out at the primate house all day was my favorite thing to do — I fell in love with gorillas there. I have to say, the D.C. zoo has a very nice facility with a pretty large area to wander and forage — much better than lots of other American zoos I’ve been to. But don’t worry — no one is keeping any Mountain Gorillas! Best wishes to you, your wife, and your family.
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I want to remind you about the letter writing campaign to the U.S. Congress. We’re urging Congress to put pressure on Rwandan President Kagame to end relations, and funding, with Laurent Nkunda.
You can find a sample letter written by Robin Andreae and information on how to contact your representatives on my blog. Just click my name above and go to the “Wildlife Direct” tab at the top of the page.
http://nothoney.wordpress.com/wildlife-direct-lobby/
Thanks,
s.