CONGO DR: Government Allows Oil Exploration In Virunga And Salonga National Parks ,Environmental Activists Oppose

CONGO DR: Virunga National Park, Africa’s Oldest Park Closed To Tourists Over Securityconcerns

Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo announced on June 4 that it will not be welcoming tourists again until 2019.

Virunga is suspending activities for security reasons.

The decision was made following the death on May 11 of Rachel Makissa Baraka, a ranger who was attacked by armed assailants.

Baraka was the eighth ranger to be killed this year, bringing the total number of ranger deaths to more than 175 and making Virunga one of the deadliest conservation endeavours in the world.

During the incident, two British tourists and their Congolese driver were captured and taken hostage, before being released.

Overseen by Belgian aristocrat Emmanuel de Merode, the park was established in 1925, making it the oldest of its kind in Africa, and is celebrated for its mountain gorillas.

However, it faces numerous challenges, from violent militia to poaching.

In a statement announcing the closure, de Merode, who was himself critically injured by gunmen in 2014, said, It is abundantly clear that Virunga is deeply affected by insecurity and that this will be the case for some time.

For Virunga to be safely visited, much more robust measures are necessary than in the past.

In 2014, Netflix released an Academy Award-nominated documentary called Virunga about the park’s conservation efforts and the individuals who risk their lives to help preserve the natural habitat of the mountain gorillas.


Tourism Observer

DR CONGO: Two British Tourists Kidnapped And A Female Ranger Killed In Virunga National Park

Some tourists were kidnapped and a convoy attacked in the Virunga National Park, the Democratic Republic of Congo's famed haven for gorillas and other endangered species, a park source said.

The source did not specify the nationality of those abducted but said their guard was seriously injured.

A local journalist also tweeted about the kidnapping.

I confirm an attack on our convoy, Joel Wengamulay, the park spokesman said, without specifying if tourists were targetted or had been kidnapped.

On April 9, five rangers and a driver were killed in an ambush in the park, which was established in 1925.

One of the most important conservation sites in the world, it covers 7,800 square kilometres (3,011 miles), or three times the size of Luxembourg, along a swathe of eastern DR Congo abutting the border with Uganda and Rwanda.

Virunga is home to about a quarter of the world's population of critically-endangered mountain gorillas, as well as to eastern lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, okapis, lions, elephants and hippos.

But it is located in DR Congo's North Kivu province, where armed groups are fighting for control of territorial and natural resources, and poaching is a major threat.

It is believed they were visiting the world-famous gorilla sanctuary the Virunga National Park.

The tourists were reportedly taken on a route after a ranger was killed in the park today in North Kivu.

The Foreign Office has confirmed that the two Brits have been kidnapped.

An FCO spokesperson said We are in close contact with the authorities in Democratic Republic of the Congo following an incident involving two British nationals, and our staff are providing support to their families.

Radio Okapi, a local radio station said two British tourists were kidnapped and a female ranger had been killed 10km from Goma, which is a region south of Virunga National Park.

The Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation confirmed that two British tourists and their driver were kidnapped while a park guard was killed this morning.

A park spokesman told CNN that security staff were immediately deployed after there learned of the incident.

The Congo is currently faced with an outbreak of Ebola and the World Health Organisation is planning for the worst case scenario.

The WHO’s Deputy Director-General of Emergency Preparedness and Response Peter Salama is waiting for the country’s government to allow them to deploy a vaccine.

This will be the ninth time the virus has affected Congo and nine countries have been warned to prepare for the “worst case scenario”.

Between 2014 and 2016 Ebola swept across West Africa killing at least 11,000 people.



Tourism Observer

DR CONGO: Virunga National Park Sadly looses Six Rangers To Poachers Or Rebels

Six rangers were killed on Monday in an ambush in the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Virunga National Park is a popular home for the rare mountain gorillas.

“We have sadly lost six rangers,” park spokesman Joel Malembe said, adding that the team was ambushed while driving between the sectors of Lulimba and Ishasha, near the border with Uganda.

A seventh ranger, the team’s leader, was wounded, he said.

The park, established in 1925, describes itself as Africa’s oldest national park.

One of the most important conservation sites in the world, it covers 7,800 square kilometres (3,011 miles), or three times the size of Luxembourg, along a swathe of eastern DR Congo abutting the border with Uganda and Rwanda.

Virunga is home to about a quarter of the world’s population of critically endangered mountain gorillas, as well as to eastern lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, okapis, lions, elephants and hippos.

Virunga National Park is located in North Kivu province, where armed groups are fighting for control of territorial and natural resources, and poaching is a major threat.

The park’s director, Emmanuel de Merode, a Belgian national, was himself wounded in a road ambush between the park and Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in May 2014.


Tourism Observer

DR CONGO: Getting A Tourist Visa

Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN), the Congolese wildlife authority, has an agreement with Direction Générale de Migration (DGM), the Congolese immigration service, to facilitate obtaining 2-week, single entry tourist visas for people visiting Virunga National Park. T

The cost of the visa is USD $105.

To qualify for a tourist visa, you must first purchase a mountain gorilla trek permit, a Nyiragongo trek permit, or book and pay for accommodation at the Mikeno Lodge.

- Mountain Gorilla Trek

- Nyiragongo Volcano Trek

- Mikeno Lodge

Treks or accommodation linked with the purchase of a tourist visa through Virunga National Park are non-refundable.

Once you have a booking and have received confirmation of your payment, you will also receive an order number.

Please proceed to the online visa application, enter your order number at the top of the form, fill in the remaining fields, and click submit.

Finally, please make sure to secure any other visas that you will need as you make your way to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Countries such as Rwanda require most nationalities to secure visas in advance of arrival.

Virunga National Park only acts as a facilitator in the visa process.

Full authority rests with the DRC’s Department of Immigration (DGM) in Kinshasa. DGM rarely issues actual electronic versions of visa approvals.

Therefore, every visitor must arrive at the border (Grande Barrière) with a print-out of their trek/accommodation and visa order confirmations.

Virunga’s tourism team will verify that all paid-in-full applicants are on the list of approved visas at the border in Goma.

You do not need an actual copy of your visa if you have your order confirmations in hand when you arrive at the border.

People flying ETHIOPEAN AIRLINES directly into Goma must notify the tourism team two weeks before their departure.

Please email visit@virunga.org in copy to ensure your visa information has been been communicated to Ethiopian Airlines. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN NOT BEING ABLE TO BOARD YOUR FLIGHT.

The Grand Barrière border crossing is open to Virunga visitors from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm daily. One can cross the border at 8:00 am for a same day volcano trek.

If you book park transport for the volcano that is Goma to Kibati, the driver will pick you up at the border at 8:30 am. Same day gorilla treks are NOT possible because park transport leaves Goma for Bukima at 6:30 am.

You can also arrange your tourism visa through a registered tour operator.

Tourist Visa in Review:

- Only available online through via a trusted tour operator

- Only valid in combination with a paid-in-full park permit or accommodation

- REQUIRES TWO WEEKS TO PROCESS AND FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE

- Single entry and valid for 14 days from day of entry

- Please bring a printed copy of your trek/accommodation and visa order confirmations with you.

- Please email a scanned copy of your passport to visit virunga upon completion of your visa application.

- Proof of Yellow Fever vaccination is required for access into the country

- The Directorate of Immigration (DGM) reserves the right to reject a visa application

- Please cross into Goma at the “Grand Barrière” NOT at the “Petite Barrière”

- Have a booking, payment confirmation, and order number?

APPLY NOW



Tourism Observer

DR CONGO: 7 Baby Mountain Gorillas Born To Virunga National Park In Only 6 Weeks

Virunga’s rangers couldn’t be happier with the way 2018 has begun.

The first of seven births happened on January 7th, when Sebutimbiri of the Mapuwa family gave birth to a baby boy.

Several days later four more babies were born within five days of each other.

With January in the books, rangers understandably thought they had seen the last of the excitement for a while.

The Bageni family proved them wrong. On February 4th, Mivumbi gave birth to a boy and then on the 12th, Rwubaka, also of the Bageni family, gave birth to a boy.

Yes, much of this is due to good fortune, but it could never have happened without the dedication and sacrifice of Virunga’s rangers.

Day in and day out, the rangers sweep the gorilla sector for snares and stay close to the gorilla families to protect them.

The Gorilla Doctors also play a pivotal role in keeping the gorillas healthy and thriving.

A decade ago, there were only 720 mountain gorillas left on earth.

Since then, the population has grown to just under 1000, with Virunga’s population growing among the fastest.

One thousand mountain gorillas is still precious few, but the trend is moving in the right direction.

If you would like to take part in making sure Virunga’s mountain gorillas continue their remarkable recovery, please consider making a donation here.



Tourism Observer

UGANDA: Virunga Volcanoes

The Virungas are a chain of eight volcanoes which dot the borders of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.

Most of these volcanoes are dormant, except Mount Nyiragongo 3,462 metres (11,358 ft.) and Mount Nyamuragira 3,063 meters (10,049 ft.), both in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Recent eruptions occurred in 2006 and in January, 2010. Mount Karisimbi is the highest volcano at 4,507 meters (14,787 ft.).

The oldest mountain is Mount Sabyinyo, which rises 3,634 meters (11,923 ft.) above sea level.

Three of the conical peaks are in Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park i.e. Muhavura (4,127m) which is the highest of the peaks in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

The name means guide, and the Batwa used to look for its high peak to help orient them in the forest.

Muhavura volcano also called Volcan Muhabura is an extinct volcano at the easternmost end of the Virunga Mountains in east central Africa.

It lies northeast of Lake Kivu on the border between Uganda and Rwanda.

It is more than 13,500 ft. high, and its crater contains a lake.

The volcano forms part of the Virunga National Park that rises to 4127 m at the NE end of the Virunga Range.

It is a relatively youthful stratovolcano with a small 40-m-wide lake in its summit crater.

The 3474-m-high Gahinga (Mgahinga) volcano is joined to Muhavura on the west by a broad saddle.

The two volcanoes have produced basanitic-to-trachyandesitic lavas.

A small parasitic crater has been recently active, but the age of the latest eruption of Muhavura is not known.

It has a crystal clear crater lake about 36m wide at its summit.

The top commands panoramic views far into Uganda, Rwanda and along the length of the Virunga chain.

Mount Gahinga (3,474m) is the smallest of the Virunga volcanoes.

It is named after the local practice of tidying the volcanic debris that clutters local farmland into neat cairns – or Gahinga. Its swamp-filled crater is around 180m wide.

Sabinyo also called Volcan Sabinyo, or Volcan Sabyinyo, extinct volcano (11,500 feet [3,505 m]) in the Virunga Mountains of east-central Africa.

It lies northeast of Lake Kivu and south-southeast of Rutshuru, Congo (Kinshasa).

Its summit marks the junction of the Congo (Kinshasa)–Rwanda–Uganda borders. It forms part of the Virunga National Park, which is the home of the mountain gorilla.

Sabinyo which also means old man’s teeth is a reference to its jagged summit which is dissected by deep gorges and ravines.

The countries that share the Virungas – Uganda, Rwanda and the DR Congo – meet on the highest of Sabinyo’s stumpy peaks.

This volcano offers 3 challenging peaks to climb. A climb up the mountain takes one up a ridge along the eastern side of the climb peak 1.

If you are to continue, the climb peak 11 involves walking as ridge with breath- taking drops into gorges of Rwanda and Uganda.

Finally, the hike up to the peak 11 is steep with several ladders and mush scrambling.

You are guaranteed to get your hands dirty en-route to peak 111.

Once on top, you will be in Rwanda, DRC and Uganda at the same time. The journey takes about 8hrs round to cover the 14km stretch.



Tourism Observer

DR. CONGO: Protecting Elephants At Virunga National Park

The only way to save the fast-disappearing elephant population in DRC’s Virunga National Park is for rangers to be with them around the clock, says park director Emmanuel de Merode in an MSN video.

The park has lost 95 percent of its elephants. With just 195 elephants left, rangers are turning to a solution they say may be the easiest: satellite collars on the elephants.

The livelihoods of thousands of people depend on the health of the park and its wildlife, de Merode told MSN.

“Sadly elephants have become an incredibly valuable commodity in certain circles,” de Merode said. “The price of ivory has rocketed. There’s huge demand for the killing of elephants.”

GPS collars will help rangers know where the elephants are 24/7 are.

Unfortunately, the technology hurts humans too.

Poachers in DRC killed three park rangers and an army officer in October, firing on a patrol that had tracked an elephant’s transmitter collar to a poachers’ camp in Northern Congo’s Garamba National Park.

Here’s how collaring an elephant works in Virunga. First crews must locate the lead elephant, tranquilize it, find it where it falls and fit it with a collar. Medical staff on are on hand to stabilize the elephant, push it over and fit it with a GPS collar.

Crews are in the air watching the elephants almost every day.

The park’s digital photographer Adam Kiefer said he uses something akin to Google Earth but with a much higher resolution to shoot aerial photos of the park. He makes a digital map that can show people coming onto the land. His photo technology can capture anything from 10 centimeters up, he told MSN.

KENYA: Richard Leakey

Richard Leakey

Richard Erskine Frere Leakey, second son of Louis and Mary, was born on December 19, 1944. He participated in his parent’s field expeditions from an early age and was therefore well-placed to inherit their legacy. His efforts withpaleoanthropology involved not only field research and discoveries but also many years serving as the director of the National Museums of Kenya (NMK). Work at Koobi Fora began after a chance landing in the area led Richard to believe that the area held a wealth of fossil deposits. Together with a team from the NMK, Richard led the first expedition to Koobi Fora in 1968. Between 1968 and 1989 he coordinated the NMK field expeditions to the eastern and western shores of Lake Turkana. With the team of talented and experienced fossil hunters led by Mr. Kamoya Kimeu, many important finds were made, including early stone age tools dating to around 1.9 million years old, evidence of early members of the genus Homo, including skulls of Homo habilis and Homo erectus, and remains of robust australopithecines A. boisei and A.aethiopicus. The extraordinary discovery of the nearly complete 1.6 million year old skeleton of the “Nariokotome Boy” (or “Turkana Boy”), a Homo erectus youth, was undoubtedly the most important.

After Dr. Leakey was appointed the head of the Kenya Wildlife Services KWS in 1989, he was no longer able to continue with fieldwork, though he remains interested in paleoanthropology. As head of the KWS, Richard successfully combated elephant and rhino poaching and oversaw a reorganization of Kenya’s troubled national park system. In 1993, he lost both legs below the knee when the plane he was flying crashed. The following year, political opposition caused him to leave the KWS and he became more involved in Kenyan politics, serving as Secretary General of Kenyan opposition party Safina. In December 1997, he was elected to an opposition seat in the Kenyan parliament.

Dr. Leakey’s political career culminated in 1999 When then-president Moi appointed him head of Kenya’s Civil Service and of a so-called “Dream Team” of technocrats assembled from various fields and backgrounds to tackle management, corruption, and reorganization issues within the Kenyan government. He stepped down from this position in 2001, announcing at that time that he was retiring from politics.

Although subjected to political impasses, intimidation and physical violence, he continues to fight for political justice in Kenya. Dr. Richard Leakey continues to lecture on environmental themes and is currently involved in grassroots wildlife conservation projects. In his spare time he enjoys growing grapes and producing wine on his farm near Nairobi.

Plane crash
In 1993, a small propeller-driven plane piloted by Richard Leakey crashed, crushing his lower legs, both of which were later amputated. Sabotage was suspected but never proved. While in the hospital, Leakey told President Moi, a religious man, not to pray for him, but act on matters pending for the Kenya Wildlife Service. In a few months Richard Leakey was walking again on artificial limbs. Around this time the Kenyan government announced that a secret probe had found evidence of corruption and mismanagement in the Kenya Wildlife Service. An annoyed Leakey resigned publicly in a press conference in January 1994. He was replaced by David Western as the head of the Kenya Wildlife Service.

Richard Leakey wrote about his experiences at the Kenya Wildlife Service in his book Wildlife Wars: My Fight to Save Africa's Natural Treasures (2001).

Politics
In May 1995 Richard Leakey joined some Kenyan intellectuals in launching a new political party – the Safina Party, which in Swahili means "Noah's Ark". "If KANU and Mr. Moi will do something about the deterioration of public life, corruption and mismanagement, I'd be happy to fight alongside them. If they won't, I want somebody else to do it," announced Richard Leakey.The Safina party was routinely harassed and even its application to become an official political party was not approved until 1997.

In 1999, Moi had to appoint Richard Leakey as Cabinet Secretary and overall head of the civil service at the insistence of international donor institutions as a pre-condition for the resumption of donor funds. Leakey's second stint in the civil service lasted until 2001 when he was forced to resign again.

Later activities
Leakey joined the Department of Anthropology faculty at Stony Brook University, New York in 2002. He is currently a professor of anthropology at Stony Brook, where he is Chair of the Turkana Basin Institute.

In 2004, Leakey founded and chaired WildlifeDirect, a Kenya-based charitable organization. The charity was established to provide support to conservationists in Africa directly on the ground via the use of blogs. This enables individuals anywhere to play a direct and interactive role in the survival of some of the world's most precious species. The organisation played a significant role in the saving of Congo's mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park in January 2007 after a rebel uprising threatened to eliminate the highly vulnerable population.

In April 2007 he was appointed interim chairman of Transparency International Kenya branch. The same year he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society

In June 2013, Leakey was awarded the Isaac Asimov Science Award from the American Humanist Association.

DR CONGO: Virunga Threatened By Oil Exploration

One of Africa’s richest natural treasures is at risk from the exploration plans of an oil conglomerate.

Found along the equator on the western edge of Democratic Republic of the Congo, Virunga National Park is one of the world’s most extraordinary natural places. It is Africa’s oldest national park, a World Heritage Site and a Ramsar wetland of international importance.

Although Virunga National Park’s pristine wilderness has been granted protections under Congolese and international law, companies from Europe and elsewhere are pursing plans for oil extraction in and around the park.

Oil exploration in Virunga is illegal
According to the laws of Democratic Republic of the Congo, activities harmful to the environment are prohibited in all protected areas, including national parks.
Major oil exploitation could involve disruptive seismic tests, forest clearing, deep underground drilling, or the laying of vulnerable oil pipelines. The additional human presence required for these activities could also be damaging to the park’s ecosystems.

As a signatory to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, Democratic Republic of the Congo has agreed to respect the treaty’s requirements for the protection World Heritage Sites.

Oil and mineral extraction have been found by UNESCO to be incompatible with the spirit of the convention. Alarmed by the allocation of oil concessions within Virunga National Park, UNESCO’s Director General has called for the Congolese government to “abandon all plans for oil extraction.” Similarly, the World Heritage Committee has urged that all oil permits be canceled.

Sustainable livelihoods at risk
Many residents living around Virunga National Park depend on its health for their livelihoods.
About 30,000 people benefit economically from fishing within the park, and another 20,000 benefit from commercial activities related to the fishing industry.

Additionally, revenue generated by mountain gorilla ecotourism programmes has provided funding for conservation work and for community development projects in the area. In one nearby village, citizens conducted a public rally to voice their concerns over the proposed oil exploration.

It is feared that the area could suffer from socio-economic tensions, crime and insecurity if development were to proceed, as witnessed in the Niger Delta.

Rich in plant and animal biodiversity
UNESCO recognizes Virunga National Park as having the most diverse habitats of any park in Africa, from forests and savannas, to swamps and volcanic peaks.
The park is also unique in containing more individual species than nearly any other place in the world. Because of its extraordinary landscapes and high level of biodiversity, Virunga National Park was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1979.

The areas of Virunga National Park allocated as oil concessions cover around 85 per cent of its land, and the habitats of endangered chimpanzees, hippos, and forest elephants.

Oil development could also put at risk hundreds of lesser-known fragile species such as the okapi, which is found in no other country in the world. Over 200 species of mammals live in Virunga National Park, including 22 types of primates. The park is also home to over 700 kinds of birds.

A refuge for gorillas
The most famous residents of Virunga National Park are critically endangered mountain gorillas, of which only 880 individuals remain in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda.
While the habitat of Virunga National Park’s 200 mountain gorillas does not currently fall within an oil concession, development in the park could negatively affect their security.

Allowing illegal activities, such as oil operations, to be conducted in the park fundamentally undermines the authority of park managers, and will make it difficult for them to guard against intrusion by others seeking to exploit its land, trees and animals.

Assessing environmental impacts
The Congolese government has ordered that all oil activities within the park be suspended until a strategic environmental assessment has been completed.
WWF is asking Soco International PLC to abandon its plans for oil exploration and exploitation within Virunga National Park in accordance with the country’s laws. The organization welcomes Total SA's pledge to respect park boundaries, but remains concerned about operations directly outside park borders.

Furthermore, WWF echos the World Heritage Committee's that all authorizations for companies to undertake exploration activities within park boundaries be revoked.

DR Congo: Mountain Gorillas Increase In Number

After a dramatic decline in numbers following their scientific discovery in 1902, dedicated conservation initiatives have ensured that mountain gorilla numbers are now slowly increasing.

Physical description
The mountain gorilla became known to science on 17 October 1902, and is a subspecies of eastern gorilla. It has longer hair, jaws and teeth, but slightly shorter arms, than the other subspecies, the eastern lowland gorilla. Adult males grow a patch of silver hair on their back and hips, giving them the name 'silverback'.

Size: On average, adult males weigh 160 kg, and adult females 98 kg.

Gorillas on volcanoes
Mountain gorillas are found at high altitudes (2,500-4,000 m) in montane forests, as well as bamboo forests.

Social structure
A group of mountain gorillas usually consists of a single dominant silverback male, three adult females, and 4-5 offspring. There is an overlap in group territories and the silverback generally defends his group rather than his territory.

Population & distribution
Mountain gorillas are found in two separate locations: the Virunga range of extinct volcanic mountains on the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Uganda, and in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Some primatologists believe the Bwindi gorillas may be a separate subspecies.

Previous population
In the 100 years since its discovery, the mountain gorilla has endured uncontrolled hunting, war, disease, destruction of its forest habitat, and capture for the illegal pet trade.

These factors led to a dramatic decline in numbers. Indeed, there were fears that the mountain gorilla would become extinct in the same century it was discovered.

Current population
Thanks to conservation efforts, the population of mountain gorillas has increased from 620 individuals in 1989 to around 880 individuals today. This number is likely to be accurate, as these animals have been intensely monitored since the 1950s.

The Virunga population numbers 480, and lives at altitudes ranging from 2,300-4,500 m. Most of these gorillas range within the southern part of Virunga National Park, DRC, and the Volcanoes National Park (Parc National des Volcans), northern Rwanda, while a few use the Mgahinga National Park, southwestern Uganda.

The Bwindi population lives at elevations of 1,500- 2,300 m. A 2011census recorded 400 individuals. Additionally, four orphaned mountain gorillas currently reside in a sanctuary in Uganda.

What are the main threats?
Habitat loss
More than 100,000 people live in the remote areas where mountain gorillas are found. Their need for land to cultivate has reduced the forest in which the gorillas live to virtual islands in the middle of expanding human settlements.

Between 1990 and 1994, large numbers of Rwandan refugees fled to camps at the edge of the Virunga National Park, leading to uncontrolled firewood harvesting as well as increased poaching (see below).

In 2004, 1,500 hectares of prime mountain gorilla habitat were cleared by illegal settlers in Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to evidence uncovered by the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature, one of WWF's partners. Convoys of people from Rwanda and DRC destroyed large tracts of the park, home to mountain gorillas and other endangered species, to create agricultural and pastoral land.

Hunting
In addition to being hunted for meat, mountain gorillas are also illegally hunted for trophies and live infants.

As many as 15 of Virunga's mountain gorillas may have been killed since the outbreak of civil war in 1990. Between 1990 and 1994, when large numbers of Rwandan refugees fled to camps at the edge of the Virunga National Park, 4 habituated silverback gorillas were killed, along with some of their group members.

In 2007, a further 7 gorillas were killed.

Oil & gas exploration
European oil and gas companies have been granted exploration consessions in Virunga National Park, home to Democratic Republic of the Congo's mountain gorilla population. While gorilla habitat does not currently fall within an oil concession, development in the park could negatively affect the animals' security.

War & instability
Although the refugees left the camps around Virunga National Park in 1996, continued civil unrest and the presence of armed militias makes survey and conservation work difficult in the DRC's protected areas, which are now in rebel-held territory.

Disease
As more people move into their habitat, and more tourists come to see them, mountain gorillas are becoming increasingly exposed to a variety of human ailments.

What is WWF doing?
Our 40 years of work to save the mountain gorilla and its forest habitat represents one of our longest-running flagship species programmes.

Early gorilla surveys and aid to protected areas in the Albertine Rift ecoregion started in the 1970s.

In 1991, this effort evolved into today's International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP), a joint initiative of the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), Fauna and Flora International (FFI), and WWF.

IGCP's mission is to empower the people of Rwanda, DRC and Uganda to jointly manage a network of transboundary protected areas that the mountain gorillas depend on.

In Virunga National Park, IGCP and WWF are working in collaboration with the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN), and have supported:

Environmental awareness and education initiatives

Promotion of sustainable livelihoods

Reforestation projects

Equipping and paying salaries for Virunga National Park staff. In 2002, WWF provided additional funding to increase the number, duration, and coverage of anti-poaching patrols in Volcanoes National Park, leading to the arrest of poachers and a drastic reduction in poaching

The 14% in the Virunga population over the last 12 years is thanks largely to this collaborative effort.

WWF is also active in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, the only other habitat harboring mountain gorillas.

How you can help

Visit the gorillas! Money earned through gorilla tourism contributes significantly to the conservation of the species – providing funds for conservation projects and creating jobs and bringing other benefits to local communities living near gorillas.

Priority species
Gorillas and other great apes are a WWF priority species. WWF treats priority species as one of the most ecologically, economically and/or culturally important species on our planet. As such, WWF works to ensure all great apes can live and thrive in their natural habitats.


Key facts

Common names
Mountain gorilla; Gorille de montagne (Fr); (Sp)

Scientific name
Gorilla beringei beringei

Location
Virunga mountains, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda; Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda

Population
Approximately 880 individuals

Status
Critically Endangered

DR CONGO: Tourism Hope In DR Congo

Tourists perch perilously on a volcano's edge as swirling smoke belches from the fiery cauldron of lava below, the latest unlikely visitors holidaying in war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo.

Below, sounding like a roaring sea, spurts of molten rock fly high into the air, as one of the world's largest lava lakes and most active volcanos puts on its mesmerising show.

Eastern DR Congo has been mired for decades in rebel battles, but such sights are helping bring tourists back to Virunga National Park, which reopened last year after the battle lines shifted in its favour.

Surrounding misty forests in green hills of the vast park -- stretching for 7,800 square kilometres (3,010 square miles) -- are home to a quarter of the world's critically endangered mountain gorillas.

The tourists are vital: the income they bring funds the park's survival.

"The frontlines, they were down there," one porter says, peering down from the volcano through the jungles towards the lights of the lakeside city of Goma, some 20 kilometres (12 miles) southwards, referring to a rebel force who briefly took control in late 2012.

Nyiragongo, a 3470 metre (11,384 feet) peak and a steep and stiff five-hour hike from lush rain forests, is part of a chain of volcanoes in one of the world's most active regions.

- Tourism 'vital' to Virunga's future -

"Holiday on Mount Doom," said Fabian, a teenage Belgian tourist visiting with his mother, referring to the volcano in the fantasy world of British author J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" epic.

"Some things can only be believed by seeing," he added quietly, peering down from the cliff's edge in hushed awe at the raging fire below, the night sky turned red from the glowing lava.

The tourist industry in the region -- needed to keep the UNESCO world heritage site running and its animal inhabitants safe -- collapsed in 2012.

Militia forces remain active, and Virunga's chief warden Emmanuel de Merode was himself wounded by gunmen by 2014.

But the well-trained and armed guides say it is now safe, and visitors are coming back. For tourists, an hour with a gorilla family costs $400, while a night on the volcano costs $250.

Tourism revenue is "vital" to the future of Virunga, helping to benefit some four million people in and around the vast park, as well as "peace and prosperity" in general.

It gives people an alternative income than cutting down the forests for charcoal, and a motivation to protect the park.

"Every tourist that visits Virunga is contributing," Merode said.

In 2011, over 3,000 visitors came to Virunga, but violence forced the park shut the next year, and only fully reopening in late 2014.

But tourist numbers have bounced back, with almost 3,000 visiting already so far this year, bringing in much needed revenues to pay rangers.

A total of 16 tourists can hike up the mountain a day - on a recent trip in torrential rain and hail storms up the peak made by a dozen tourists took part, with nationalities including Americans, Belgians, British and Israelis.

The last major eruption in 2002 saw fast flowing lava devastate the Goma, covering the city of around a million in a river of molten rock flowing as fast as 100 kilometres (60 miles) per hour.

Oscar-nominated 2014 documentary "Virunga" -- which showed the efforts to protect Africa's oldest national park from war, poachers and oil companies -- has also brought back tourists.

"We saw the film, and said, we have to see that," said Jacques, a Belgian businessman working in Congo, after trekking into the steamy jungles to see the gorillas, the symbol of the park.

Rangers communicate with the gorillas, exchanging heavy grunts to reassure the groups, including the massive male "silverback" weighing an estimated 160 kilos (350 pounds).

"With each person coming to visit Virunga, there is a little bit more hope that things will get better," said Mélanie Gouby, a French investigative journalist, whose work to expose oil company expansion into the park is a key part of the film.

It's wonderful that so many tourists have come back in such a short time after the end of the conflict - to hear that the documentary is part of the reason why they are coming to Virunga is both incredibly exciting and humbling.

As night falls and temperatures drop below freezing, the warmth from the molten lava warms the hands of the tourists, dangling their legs over the sheer drop into the crater, watching plate tectonics in action.

"I saw how the Earth was born," one entry from an American couple read in the park's visitor's book. "How often can you climb a mountain and come back with an understanding of how we are all here?"