Gorilla Murders is an American wildlife documentary special produced by National Geographic Television and Film as part of its "National Geographic Explorer" strand which investigates the case of six gorillas that were murdered in the DRC's Virunga National Park in July 2007.
The documentary originally aired in the USA on National Geographic Channel on 1 July, 2008. It is an hour long.
Gorilla Murders premiered in South Africa on DStv's Nat Geo Wild channel on Thursday 18 September 2008, at 22h00.
It premiered on DStv's National Geographic Channel on Thursday 25 September 2008, at 21h00.
Nat Geo Wild Repeats
Friday 19 September: 01h00, 04h00
Monday 22 September: 21h00
Tuesday 23 September: 00h00, 03h00, 09h00, 16h00
National Geographic Channel Repeats
Friday 26 September: 00h00, 03h00
Synopsis
In July 2007, six rare mountain gorillas are senselessly shot in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) Virunga National Park.
Shocking photographs by South African photojournalist Brent Stirton are smuggled out, but despite this photographic evidence, the complex story behind these murders has remained untold.
Only an estimated 720 of these primates remain in the wild, and this is one of the worst massacres of mountain gorillas since scientist Dian Fossey began battling poachers 40 years ago in the very same region.
National Geographic travels to eastern DRC to offer the full untold story behind the massacre. Central to the story is Stirton, the South African war photographer who was on-location when the murdered gorillas were found.
There are exclusive testimonials from eyewitnesses, including Stirton, who discuss the hunt to bring the perpetrators to justice and the desperate efforts to protect the remaining gorillas.
While the tragedy of the slain gorillas captured the attention of the world, their story only scratches the surface of this complex and often tumultuous region.
Located in the DRC, Virunga National Park and its endangered primate residents have been caught in a deadly crossfire between militia groups and the Congolese Army.
Outnumbered and outgunned, the park rangers, more than 110 of whom have been killed in the past decade, are the unsung heroes of this story. Their unwavering commitment to the mountain gorillas’ survival is the stuff of true courage.
Join National Geographic as they unravel the web of corruption and mystery surrounding the murders and investigate charges against the man now accused of masterminding them, Honore Mashagiro, the former chief warden of the park.
National Geographic’s access provides a chance to tell a horrifying 'whodunit' story.
In the end, one man will be falsely accused of the crime, one will stand trial and one will hold the park hostage, along with the remaining mountain gorillas that live there.