One of Uganda’s best known mountain gorillas, Rafiki, has been killed by hunters.
Report says that Rafiki was killed by a sharp object that penetrated his internal organs.
There are just over 1,000 mountain gorillas in existence and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) described Rafiki’s death as a “very big blow”.
The silverback, believed to be around 25-years-old when he died in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, was the leader of a group of 17 mountain gorillas.
The mountain gorillas are a popular draw for visitors to the country and the UWA relies on the tourists for revenue.
Rafiki himself was very popular with people who had come to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mr Hangi said.
He went missing on 1 June and his body was discovered by a search party the following day.
A UWA team tracked a suspect to a nearby village, where he was found with hunting equipment.
He admitted that he, and three others, had been hunting smaller animals in the park and that he killed Rafiki in self-defence when he was attacked, the UWA said in a statement.
Four men have been arrested, and they face a life sentence or a fine of $5.4m (£4.3m) if found guilty of killing an endangered species.
The four men are expected to be charged under a wildlife protection law that was passed last year.
