Last year, Virunga, Africa’s oldest national park, came under serious threat and made international news. The park, which is a declared UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most bio-diverse zone, not only in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), but in the whole African continent, and its incredible plight, inspired a team of journalists and filmmakers to document the regions beauty and fight for survival.
The Virunga national park is home to the world-famous Mountain Gorillas, making the park’s role in saving this endangered species crucial. Despite these facts, in 2007, the Congolese ministry of hydrocarbons granted concessions (which cover around 85 percent of the parks surface) for oil exploration to European companies Total and Soco International.
Although Total later declared that it no longer intended on exploring the park for oil, Soco’s decision was not altered. The company then proceeded to state that the area given for oil exploration ‘Block V’, would not pose any direct threat to the Mountain Gorillas. However, what they failed to mention was that ‘Block V’ covered the most bio-diverse area within the entire park. The disruption of this bio-diverse area would significantly put dozens of other endangered species at risk, and ultimately alter the ecosystem of whole national park. 
Virunga’s story of corruption, violence and bribery has been documented within the journalistic documentary-film, Virunga. In the documentary, “a small and embattled team of park rangers – including an ex-child soldier turned ranger, a caretaker of orphan gorillas and a dedicated conservationist – protect this UNESCO world heritage site from armed militia, poachers and the dark forces struggling to control Congo’s rich natural resources.”
Virunga represents human nature at its best and at its worst, and shows the “incredible true story of a group of courageous people risking their lives to build a better future in a part of Africa the world’s forgotten.”
Watch the trailer here:
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