ANOTHER endangered mountain gorilla died in a crossfire in the forested Virunga volcanoes which straddle the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and eastern DRC, a statement from the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) said. AWF quoted the director of the International Gorilla Conservation Program (IGCP), Annette Lanjouw, as saying that Rugendo [the dead gorilla], was shot dead during clashes between the military and Interahamwe militia groups on 15 July. It was the dominant male silverback of one of the groups on the Congolese side of the border. “The loss of Rugendo is another tragedy for conservation for the efforts being made in Congo, Rwanda and Uganda to protect the gorillas from the consequences of the war, and to protect this endangered species for the future,” Lanjouw said. Lanjouw said that Rugendo had since 1986 allowed hundreds of tourists to visit him and approach his family. The Virunga region and Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park hold the entire world population of 650 mountain gorillas. – IRIN