9781422279144

introduction INTRODUCTION

Brent Stirton was used to seeing hor- rific things. As a photojournalist, he trav- eled the world documenting wars, epi- demics, food shortages, and other terrible events. But one picture he shot in July of 2007 shocked the world more than any he had ever taken before. The picture showed Senkwekwe, a massive silverback gorilla (another individual is pictured at left) who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo at the Virunga National Park. A large group of park rangers and villagers was car- rying the 500-pound (226 kg) great ape on a makeshift stretcher made of saplings. Senkwekwe had been found shot dead in the park’s dense bush. So were five female

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