The continued presence of soldiers and armed groups in the park -- a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a 400-mile-long boundary -- has made it difficult to protect the animals, the WWF said.   Following a five-year war in this central African country, the postwar transitional government has had little success in calming the east, where killings, looting and rapes continue almost unabated.   The disappearance of hippos also triggers serious secondary effects for the population, the WWF said. Because hippo dung provides vital nutrients for the fish in Lake Edward, its absence has led to a rapid decline of the lake's fish stocks. "If the government does not take the hippo situation in Virunga seriously, this will not only lead to an environmental disaster, but also to an economic crisis for local communities," said Languy.


世界野生动物基金会指出维龙加国家公园是联合国教科文世界遗产地，有着400英里长的边界，但仍然无法阻挡士兵和持有武器的团伙进入该地区，这就使得保护该地区的河马变得十分困难。   在刚果这个处于非洲中部的国家，五年的战争使得战后过渡政府在遏制东部地区猖撅的刺杀、抢劫和掠夺等犯罪活动方面显得无能为力。   世界野生动物基金会警告说，河马数量的减少影响到该地区的其他生物的生存环境。河马粪是当地爱德华湖内鱼类的重要养料，所以河马的消失也会引起湖中鱼类的急剧减少。对此，马克·兰盖表示，如果当地政府不能认真对待维龙加国家公园内河马的生存问题，那么不仅生态环境将会遭受灭顶之灾，而且当地社会的经济也会面临危机的困扰。