Help Virunga National Park Stop Oil Exploration
In October the ODEON Theatre began playing a three minute short film titled Virunga and featuring UK actress Ann Friel throughout the theatre chain in the UK. The film goes on a fascinating journey across lush tropical rain forest and snow capped mountains in an effort to show the amazing diversity on offer in Virunga National Park which includes gorillas and Elephants.
Stephen Poliakoff directed the three minute film which captures some of the most dramatic landscapes in the eastern Congo using cutting edge techniques. Viewers will be amazed by the landscape’s sheer beauty and will also learn that global demand for crude oil puts this beautiful park at risk.
Ms. Friel visited Virunga accompanied by her eight year old daughter so they could find out how oil exploration and extraction could threaten the locals, their environment and its species. The mountain gorilla is at particular risk. Ms. Friel was also able to learn about how local residents make their livelihood from nature either through fishing or eco tourism.
The park counts itself as the oldest of its kind in Africa and by some estimates is the home to as much as 25% of the current global population of mountain gorilla and up to 200 other species that cannot be found. Many people depend on Virunga for both water and food and the potential for drilling in the region could have devastating consequences.
“I was incredibly fortunate to experience the beauty of Uganda’s parks with my daughter Gracie, and I now feel even more of a responsibility to help preserve this area for future generations. If we fail to act now, the heritage of this ‘protected’ area and these extraordinary creatures could no longer exist by the time Gracie is my age. If oil exploration can threaten a place as beautiful and meaningful as Virunga, where’s next?” Ms. Freil said.
According to the WWF, the risk that is run by exploring for oil in the region is simply unacceptable and there is lots of evidence the park could develop sustainably with any requirement for oil extraction.
