--- description: The genetic difference between a gorilla and a human being is tiny—we share 98.4% of our DNA. Photographer Brent Stirton photographed the gorillas of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the people who care for them, documenting a bond that is more than just genes. title: Saving Congo’s Gorillas: A Refuge for Species Under Threat image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd9b40fcd5fdd3f2f/6987a792f887dcb408e8d143/gorillaorphans_0012_resize.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [LightBox](/tag/time-section-lightbox/) ## LightBox Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Saving Congo's Gorillas: A Refuge for Species Under Threat  by [Bryan Walsh](/author/bryan-walsh/)  ## Bryan Walsh Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 31, 2013 11:00 AM CUT  Orphaned mountain gorilla Ndkasi and her ICCN conservation ranger care-giver Baboo play in the make-shift gorilla orphanage in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, October 2008. Orphaned mountain gorilla Ndkasi and her ICCN conservation ranger care-giver Baboo play in the make-shift gorilla orphanage in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, October 2008.Brent Stirton—Reportage by Getty Images  by [Bryan Walsh](/author/bryan-walsh/)  ## Bryan Walsh Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 31, 2013 11:00 AM CUT The genetic difference between a gorilla and a human being is tiny—we share 98.4% of our DNA. But the gorillas of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the people who care for them share far more than just genes. Both are victims of an endless war that has ravaged Central Africa, killing humans and gorillas alike. The fighting—along with the constant threat of poachers, disease and loss of habitat from deforestation—has taken its toll on the already critically endangered population of mountain gorillas in Central Africa. Just about 800 still live in the world today, most in the Virunga mountains, which range through Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. The 300 mountain gorillas that live in Congo are particularly vulnerable; their habitat is occupied by the m23 rebel group, which has been carrying out a violent rebellion against the Congolese government. Mountain gorillas have been caught in the cross fire of pitched gun battles and have sometimes been attacked directly by rebels seeking to steal and sell infant gorillas. That the mountain gorillas of Congo endure at all is a testament to the bravery of the Congolese Conservation Authority (ICCN), which oversees the sprawling country’s embattled parks and nature re- serves. at the Senkwekwe Orphan mountain gorilla Center in Congo’s Virunga National Park, rangers care for the animals, many of which have lost their mothers to poachers or rebel fighters. The center offers a refuge for young mountain gorillas that have been traumatized by the ongoing violence. The gorillas attach themselves to the wardens, who treat the juveniles like their children. This is not a zoo or a research center. It is a refugee camp for primate victims of war. But even this refuge is under siege. More than 130 rangers have died defending Virunga National Park since 1996\. The wardens are often outgunned by rebels, as well as by poachers who seek to capture young gorillas to be sold as pets or butcher older ones for meat. (Bush meat has become increasingly popular in Africa’s swelling cities, and so the number of poachers has grown.) The fighting makes it more difficult for rangers to patrol the park, leaving the gorillas vulnerable. and even if a more lasting peace does come, it could herald a new wave of development in Congo, which could in turn lead to accelerated deforestation and further loss of habitat for the already endangered mountain gorillas. No matter what happens, the odds are against them. But in the meantime, Senkwekwe serves as an oasis of calm, a place where these animals can be nursed back to health, physically and mentally. As Brent Stirton’s photographs demonstrate, the mountain gorilla is special, its connection to human beings—to us— more than just a matter of shared genes. “Gorillas have something in their soul very close to humans,” says Andre Bauma, a ranger at Virunga National Park and the “father” of a pair of adopted female mountain gorillas. To lose them would be to lose a part of ourselves. --- [**_Brent Stirton_**](http://www.brentstirton.com/ "undefined") _is a world-renowned Senior Staff photographer for Reportage by Getty Images based in New York. In 2013, he won the Environmental Vision Award from POYI._ **_Bryan Walsh_** _is a senior editor for TIME International & an environmental writer. Follow him on Twitter_ [_@bryanrwalsh_](http://www.twitter.com/bryanrwalsh "undefined")_._ ---  Local villagers help to dress and evacuate the body of a female lactating mountain gorilla who has been shot multiple times by AK47 rounds. It is believed that her baby has been taken and it has never been recovered. She is one of 7 mountain gorillas shot by an armed group on this day. Mountain Gorillas are extremely rare, with just over 700 in the world today. Brent Stirton—Reportage by Getty Images  An M23 rebel soldier stands guard in Mikeno, the volcanic mountain gorilla sector of Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Brent Stirton—Reportage by Getty Images  M23 rebels, North Kivu, D.R.C, 23 November 2008\. The Gorilla Sector of Virunga National Park has been occupied by the rebel movement CNDP under rebel Congolese Tutsi Generals since 2007. Brent Stirton—Reportage by Getty Images  Andre, 39, a self described "gorilla mother" looks after 4 orphaned gorillas who were rescued from various horrific circumstances and brought into care by the staff of Virunga National Park, DRC, 2 March 2012\. Andre thinks of these gorillas as his own children and even describes bringing his children to see them as showing them their brothers and sisters. Andre lives with the gorillas 24/7 with the exception of a few days off to visit his own family. Brent Stirton—Reportage by Getty Images  Orphaned mountain gorilla Ndkasi and her ICCN conservation ranger care-giver Baboo play in the make-shift gorilla orphanage in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, October 2008. Brent Stirton—Reportage by Getty Images  Andre, 39, a self described "gorilla mother" looks after 4 orphaned gorillas who were rescued from various horrific circumstances and brought into care by the staff of Virunga National Park, DRC, Mark 2012. Brent Stirton—Reportage by Getty Images  Images of the Bageni family in the gorilla sector of Virunga National Park, DRC, Aug. 2013. Brent Stirton—Reportage by Getty Images  An early morning view of one of two play fields at Senkekwe Mountain Gorilla Orphanage as caretakers interact with a new orphan mountain gorilla at ICCN headquarters, Rumangabo, Aug. 2013. Brent Stirton—Reportage by Getty Images  Caretakers interact in the early morning with a new orphan mountain gorilla Ihirwe at ICCN headquarters. Brent Stirton—Reportage by Getty Images  The beginning of the day at Senkekwe Mountain Gorilla Orphanage. Brent Stirton—Reportage by Getty Images  It is suspected that this orphan was taken by soldiers who probably killed the mother to get the baby. When they were unable to sell it, the orphan was abandoned and the conservation rangers heard and rescued it. Brent Stirton—Reportage by Getty Images  Wounds from a rope were evident on this gorilla's chest and back. Brent Stirton—Reportage by Getty Images  Full-time caretakers sleep in the enclosure with this orphan. There are a number of other orphans at the center who will be introduced to the new baby once it has been through quarantine and is accustomed to its new surroundings. Brent Stirton—Reportage by Getty Images  The beginning of the day at Senkekwe Mountain Gorilla Orphanage. Brent Stirton—Reportage by Getty Images  Caretaker Baboo prepares to go to sleep with a new orphan mountain gorilla Ihirwe. 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