Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo

THE trouble started when a British company suddenly appeared in this iconic and spectacularly beautiful national park, prospecting for oil.

Villagers who opposed the project were beaten up by government soldiers. A park warden, who tried to block the oil company, Soco International, from building a cellphone tower in the park, was kidnapped and tortured. Virunga's director, a Belgian prince, was shot and nearly killed hours after he delivered a secret report on the oil company's activities.