Losing a parent is the cruelest and most tragic experience that can ever happen to any person. The condition doesn't differ much, gorillas live and settle as families just like humans. They are the kind who have a deep sense of belonging. These animals get hurt deeply when separated from their families.
The photographer
Phil Moore, shows the deep emotion of grief that is not exclusive for humans only. In this photo,
Patrick Karabaranga, a ranger at the
Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, sits with an orphaned mountain gorilla in the park's gorilla sanctuary. The gorilla in this photo is one of the three siblings who were left orphaned. They were brought there after their parents were killed by poachers.
In an emotional display of mourning, the sad gorilla holds onto park ranger
Patrick Karabaranga for support, showing his appreciation for the sympathy by placing his hand on the ranger's leg.
The photographer,
Phil Moore, captured this photo in
July 2012 at
Virunga National Park to document the gorilla's capacity to express loss and
Karabaranga's sympathy for another species: a much needed skill in a world where human activity increasingly encroaches upon the lives of wild gorillas.
Karabarnga shows very deep sense of mercy and humanity towards the sad gorilla and for sure he managed to comfort him.
Mountain gorillas are a critically endangered species. Each day, 80,000 acres of rainforests are destroyed for profitable industries, such as logging and mining. With more than 200 mountain gorillas,
Virunga National Park accounts for about a quarter of the world’s mountain gorilla population.
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