In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), This Endangered Species Has More Protections Than Human Beings – If Those Humans Are Christians

There’s no question that gorillas are fascinating, majestic, and intimidating animals – and if threatened, terrifying. They’re an awesome example of the power and glory of God’s creation. And they’re certainly a wonder to behold at the zoo, safely behind thick plexiglass.

So, it makes perfect sense that a country such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is fortunate to have access to such incredible animals, has taken steps, spending state funds to protect its wild gorilla population. That’s wonderful. The issue is, while the DRC boasts about its dedicated programs aimed at protecting its wild mountain gorillas, even using armed rangers to protect them from poachers – no question a noble cause for these creatures – it has seemingly turned its back on a large population of its humans, as scores of innocent Christians are being slaughtered for their faith.

Recently, we told you how, shortly after the start of 2025, over 70 innocent Christians were abducted, forced into a church, and beheaded. This horrific attack was carried out by a bloodthirsty terrorist regime called the Islamic Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an ISIS-affiliated group originating from Uganda. Yet while we know who is responsible for this heinous slaughter of Christians, to date, no one has been arrested or held accountable for the satanic act.

Local church leaders are devastated. One church leader lamented: “We don’t know what to do or how to pray; we’ve had enough of massacres.”

And we sadly have to report that another 40 innocent Christians were just viciously murdered in the DRC at the hands of ISIS-affiliated terrorists.

These defenseless families were reportedly participating in a round-the-clock prayer vigil at a church when the Islamic terrorists entered the building at 1 a.m. They proceeded to stab and shoot dozens of victims – including many children – in and around the church. It’s straight out of a horror movie, but it’s real, and atrocities against Christians are happening more frequently across Africa and around the globe.

What’s worse, based on recent history, we can’t even be certain the local government and law enforcement will even do anything to bring these monsters to justice beyond empty platitudes.

Meanwhile, the intentional killing of one gorilla – which again, is also unjustifiable unless in self-defense, which is very rare – will have you thrown behind bars for years in the DRC. One poacher was sentenced to 11 years for killing a 25-year-old gorilla. Imagine the penalty for killing 70.

To date not one of the butchers who slaughtered these innocent Christians has been brought to justice. Can it really be true that in the DRC, gorillas have more protection than human beings?

According to persecution watch group Open Doors, the DRC is ranked 35th in the most dangerous countries for Christians.

According to the Open Doors report:

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), especially in the eastern region, Christians face severe persecution and violence, frequently from Islamist militants the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). Allied with the Islamic State group, the ADF abduct and kill Christians and attack churches, leading to widespread terror, insecurity and displacement.

And as their report goes on to explain, things in the DRC are only getting worse for Christians:

The last year has seen an escalation in attacks against Christians from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). These are Islamist extremists with ties to the Islamic State group. Coordinated attacks have killed dozens, displaced thousands and left believers living in fear. Christians in the DRC have faced high levels of violence for several years, but this year the attacks against followers of Jesus have been even more brazen and shocking.

And we also told you about the young Christian woman in the DRC who was viciously attacked and murdered in a manner that, we’ll warn you, we don’t even want to type out a second time:

Déborah, a young Christian woman and member of a local church, was kidnapped by the ISIS-affiliated group Alliance Democratic Forces (ADF) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The ISIS militants demanded that she renounce her faith in Jesus Christ. . . . She reportedly sang praises to God as they raped, stabbed, and mutilated her, leaving her for dead.

Déborah’s faith should humble us all. But if there’s a more fitting example of pure evil than what she endured, we can’t think of it.

The ACLJ has been fighting to save the lives of dying Christians all over Africa. We’ve delivered urgent oral interventions and filed written submissions to the United Nations, urging action for Christians in these hotbeds of anti-Christian violence like Nigeria and the DRC.

And ACLJ Executive Director Jordan Sekulow recently traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, to personally deliver an urgent oral intervention at the U.N. Human Rights Council, highlighting the atrocities against defenseless Christians in the DRC, and urging international action to stop them. 

It’s important to reiterate, gorillas are an endangered species and as perfect creations of our loving God, should be protected. The problem is, right now in the DRC, human beings are endangered too – particularly if they believe in Jesus. And that is intolerable.

The ACLJ will continue to fight on the international stage to save innocent Christians around the world and put global pressure on the DRC and other African nations like Nigeria to take action to stop the atrocities and protect ALL their people, regardless of their faith.

The sanctity of human life is nonnegotiable. If you can intervene for wild animals, you can – and must – protect people.