Animals caught up in catch-22

 There is not much hope for wildlife when impoverished people are competing with fauna for land and resources, and fighting for their very survival. Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo is home to the mountain gorilla, pictured, as well as many other diverse animal species and is Africa’s oldest national park. It has the dubious distinction of being the world’s most dangerous national park with bandits and poachers running rampant throughout making it a no go area for most tourists who provide much needed funding to keep it operating effectively. National parks in Africa provide habitat for flora and fauna but they also provide cover for bandits and poachers. I looked up the Australian Government’s website Smartraveller which provides travellers with information on destinations and it was very disturbing to read the site did not recommend one country on the entire African continent that was considered was safe to travel. Smartraveller basically described Africa as hell on earth with robbery, rape, murder, kidnappings, civil unrest and acts of terrorism as part of everyday life. If that wasn’t enough to scare away the most ardent traveller there was the ever present health threat of contracting Ebola, Yellow Fever, Malaria and host of other tropical diseases. We all hate paying income tax but those job opportunities we take for granted and the tax we pay are directly responsible for giving us law and order, a quality health system, an environment protection plan and a way of life that most Africans can only dream about. Despite its drawbacks, Virunga National Park here I come!