(CNN) Four poachers have been arrested in Uganda following the death of a rare silverback gorilla.
The gorilla -- known as Rafiki, which means "friend" in Swahili -- was part of the famed Nkuringo gorilla group that lives in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and is popular with tourists.
Rafiki was reported missing on June 1, according to a release from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. A search launched the next day found his body located inside the park.
A post-mortem report revealed that Rafiki was injured by a sharp device to his abdomen and internal organs, according to the release.
One man was arrested after bush pig meat and several hunting devices were found in his possession on June 4.
Up close with mountain gorillas in Uganda
A silverback mountain gorilla inside Uganda's Bwindi National Park, home to about half of the world's mountain gorilla population.
The critically endangered species are threatened by continued loss of habitat as a result of human activities, as well as poaching, deforestation and disease.
Veterinarian Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka is a trailblazing advocate for species conservation in Bwindi.
She is the founder of the non-profit group "Conservation Through Public Health," working to create an environment where gorillas and the people who live near them can coexist safely.
In addition to her work as a leading scientist and researcher, Kalema-Zikusoka also spends her time engaging with local communities on how best to preserve the gorillas' natural habitat.
Part of the work conducted at the CTPH involves training wildlife health monitoring. Trained rangers, trackers and volunteers collect fecal samples which are then analyzed at the Gorilla Research Clinic for disease outbreaks and other medical ailments the mountain gorillas might face.
Kalema-Zikusoka (pictured center) poses with a group of trainee rangers in May 2008. Kalema-Zikusoka says that when the conservation land was established, many people who were previously poachers were employed as rangers and trackers. "We call them 'born again poachers," she says.
The passionate conservationist explains there needs to be a careful balance between conservation and commerce. She says: "I realized how the communities were benefiting a lot ... gorilla tourism is helping to lift them out of poverty." But increased human interaction has had an effect on the gorillas.
Adult female "Karungyi" gently carries one of the infant gorillas of the Rushegura group in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in 2007.
The Rushegura group is one of 10 habituated mountain gorilla groups at the UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site in Uganda.
He confessed to killing Rafiki, but said he did so in self-defense, the release said. He told authorities he went with a group to hunt in the park when they came across the group of gorillas. The silverback charged and he speared it, the wildlife authority said in its release.
The man shared bush pig meat with fellow poachers, the release said. The four suspects are awaiting trial, but it is not clear what charges they face.
At the time Rafiki died, the Nkuringo group had 17 gorillas, the release said. The silverback was the dominant male in the group that also included three blackbacks or younger mature males, eight adult females, two juveniles and three infants, according to the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
The group was the first to reside in the southern section of the park that is home to about half of the world's mountain gorilla population.