In pictures: Gorilla guardians

Further to this, 200 Mai Mai rebels have recently killed a ranger and seriously injured four others in an attack on three patrol posts in Virunga National Park, and threatened to kill all gorillas in that area if the rangers retaliated.

Earlier in 2007, rebels slaughtered two silverbacks and it is believed one was eaten.

Against all odds the population of mountain gorillas has survived the conflict, however incidents like these create very new and real fears for their future.