A breathtaking photo has surfaced recently, it shows a park ranger sitting and quietly comforting a gorilla.
This gorilla has sadly just lost its mother to poachers. The park ranger looks as dejected as the gorilla. The rangers put their life on the line daily to protect these beautiful creatures, because of this, they view every last one as family.
Photo credit: Phil Moore/AFP/Getty Images
In the photo above, Patrick Karabaranga can be seen sitting with an orphaned mountain gorilla in Virunga National Park in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The gorilla can be seen showing his appreciation for the sympathy by tenderly placing his hand on the ranger’s leg.
This gorilla is one of three orphans living in the sanctuary. They had to be brought in after there after their parents were killed, either by poachers or as a result of illegal attempts by traffickers to smuggle them out of the park.
With more than 200 mountain gorillas, Virunga National Park accounts for about a quarter of the world’s mountain gorilla population.
While this might not be a typical Happiest post we really wanted to share this story with you today. It’s so important, it’s a tale of love and loss but most of all its a story of breathtaking compassion and understanding between animals and humans.
Watch the video below and if you’re moved like we were, please do share.
