Gorilla hand found at a market in the Republic of Congo. Photos courtesy of Endangered Species International

During 2008 and early 2009, Endangered Species International (ESI) conducted monitoring activities using undercover methods at key markets in the city of Pointe Noire, the second biggest city in Congo. Findings reveal that 95 percent of the illegal bushmeat sold originates from the Kouilou region about 100-150 km northwest to Pointe Noire where primary and unprotected rainforest still remains. The Kouilou region is one the last reservoirs of biodiversity and endangered animals in the area. … If the present trend in forest exploitation continues in Kouilou, most edible endangered wildlife — including great apes — will vanish within a few years in this region. …

More than 300 gorillas butchered each year in the Republic of Congo