This allows the abduction of two British visitors to their Virunga National Park in the Eastern DRC and the death of a ranger in successful operations to rescue them.

Director of the Virunga National Park Emmanuel de Merode cannot say when the game reserve, home to a quarter of the world’s mountain gorillas,  will reopen.

Travel companies who’ve booked tourists to see the endangered species are either offering refunds or organizing alternative trips to neighboring Uganda or Rwanda.

The 25-year-old woman ranger who died rescuing Bethan Davies and Robert Jesty, who were kidnapped on May 11, is the 176th Virunga ranger to be killed on duty.

Eight of these deaths have been this year.

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