Success Stories with our support

Some of our successful activities from the last few years are listed here:

Support for Conservation and Community Development around Maiko

The population of villages and towns in the Maiko region faces many difficulties in accessing basic services such as drinking water, and so do the…

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Community Development Micro-Projects around Maiko National Park

Maiko National Park (MNP) was gazetted in 1970 by the President of what was then Zaire, Marshal Mobutu. Before the creation of the park, the area was…

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GRACE Uses Radio for Conservation Education

The Tayna Nature Reserve, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, is managed in partnership with the local community and is home to the critically…

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30 Years - Gorilla Journal Anniversary

The first English issue of our newsletter was published in July 1992, and we are happy that it has continued to be issued twice per year ever since.…

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Two Infants within Two Years at Mount Tshiaberimu

Mount Tshiaberimu (or Tshiabirimu) is located in the southern part of the Northern Sector of Virunga National Park. At the beginning of January 2020,…

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10 October 2021

A Year of Protection of the Sarambwe Nature Reserve by Trackers Unsupported by Rangers: Results and Lessons Learnt

The protection of protected areas…

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Sarambwe: A Year without Rangers – but not without Protection!

On 10 October 2020, a ranger was killed during an attack on the Sarambwe ranger post – we reported it at the time. The national park authority ICCN…

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Fuel-efficient Stoves at Mount Tshiaberimu

Efficient charcoal-fired stoves have been in use throughout the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo for more than a decade. Everyone is convinced…

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Maiko National Park: Site Management and Conservation

Maiko National Park (MNP, BDMAP 1080) was gazetted in 1970. It is located in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is part of the…

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Essential Components of the Mountain Gorilla Success Story

Over the past five years the conservation community has successfully completed what, to date, have been the most intensive and comprehensive…

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The Sarambwe Nature Reserve after the Demarcation of the International Border

In our last article (Gorilla Journal 58) we wrote about our hope that the encroachment of the Sarambwe Nature Reserve (SNR) by Ugandan farmers in…

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Population of Bwindi Gorillas Increases to 459 Animals

Taking into account the latest census from Bwindi-Sarambwe, and including the figures for Virunga gorillas from the 2015-2016 census, the global total…

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Bamboo Cultivation in the Vicinity of Mt. Tshiaberimu

In order to preserve the ecosystems of Mount Tshiaberimu, Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe has made it its duty to keep up its support for this…

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Backing the Silverback

Fundraising for in situ conservation at the Zoological and Botanical Garden Wilhelma in Stuttgart

These days, most zoos make an enormous and steadily…

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Gorillas on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

A recent change in the mountain gorilla listing on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species from Critically Endangered (CR) to Endangered (EN) received…

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End in Sight for the Conflict over the Sarambwe Nature Reserve

The Sarambwe Nature Reserve is well known for its location on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, and its contiguity…

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Saving Cross River Gorillas in Nigeria through Radio Drama

Hunting, habitat loss and fragmentation are the main threats to the survival of the Cross River gorilla Gorilla gorilla diehli (Bergl 2012; Imong et…

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First Video Footage of the Elusive Ebo Gorillas in Cameroon

Gorillas were 'discovered' in the Ebo forest in 2002 (Morgan et al. 2003) and since then the Zoological Society of San Diego's Ebo Forest Research…

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An Initiative by Local Women for the Families of the Itombwe Reserve's Rangers

Femmes Leaders pour l'Environnement, Unies pour sa Restauration (FLEUR - Women Leaders for the Environment: United for the Purpose of its Restoration)…

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Number of Virunga Gorillas Increased again!

In 2015 to 2016 another gorilla census was conducted in the Virunga Volcanoes - and as the censuses before, the result was very positive again. It…

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Can Micro-Projects Promote Conservation?

The Sarambwe Reserve and Mount Tshiaberimu are two refuges for gorillas near the central and northern part of the Virunga National Park, conserving…

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One of the Biggest Ape Traffickers of Africa Arrested

Abdourahamane Sidibé, a major wildlife trafficker of Guinean nationality, was arrested on 18 February 2017 in Conakry in a special operation by…

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A Brief Update on the Proposed Superhighway in Cross River State

In March 2016 the Federal Ministry of the Environment issued Cross River State a stop work order pending approval of an environmental impact…

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Adoption of Community Development Projects by the Population near Mount Tshiaberimu

The term 'adoption of projects' is understood to mean the acceptance of the projects and their integration into local and daily activities on the…

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The Itombwe Forest is now Protected

The Itombwe Reserve’s boundaries were formally approved by Provincial decree in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a significant step towards…

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Development Activities in the Vicinity of the Sarambwe Reserve

Located close to Virunga National Park, the Sarambwe Reserve and Mount Tshiaberimu are two threatened sites where gorillas still occur. As ecotourism…

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Development Activities in the Vicinity of Mount Tshiaberimu

Located close to Virunga National Park, the Sarambwe Reserve and Mount Tshiaberimu are two threatened sites where gorillas still occur. As ecotourism…

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Bwindi Apes Conservation Education Partnership

The Bwindi Apes Conservation Education Partnership (BACEP) is a collaborative project of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology…

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Trees around Tshiaberimu

[Translate to Englisch:] Verteilung von Maracuja-Setzlingen

In 2008, a cry for help came from the Mount Tshiaberimu area due to a rush of people cutting wood and producing charcoal. The profitability of this…

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First donation by ajoofa

[Translate to EN:] Scheckübergabe bei ajoofa in Ulm (© ajoofa)

On February 6th, 2014, we received the first donation by the T-shirt company ajoofa. Marcus Handvest handed over a symbolic check with the donation…

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Renovation of Afi Sanctuary Headquarters

[Translate to EN:] Das marode Headquarter (© WCS Nigeria)

We transferred the first funds for project support in 2013: Andrew Dunn, our partner at WCS Nigeria, had asked us to fund the renovation of the Afi…

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Planting Trees for Gorilla Conservation

[Translate to EN:] Schüler in der Baumschule (© Augustin Rwimo)

The population of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo depends on charcoal for cooking. To obtain it, they cut large areas of forest, even in…

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Sarambwe Reserve Support Project by VONA

[Translate to EN:] Patrouille entlang der Grenze des Sarambwe-Reservats

The Sarambwe Reserve Integrated Management Support Project ran from 2009 to early 2011. The project was funded by IUCN France and B&RD and implemented…

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Approaches to Saving Gorillas in Nigeria

WCS education coordinator, Mark Otu (right), hands over the keys of a snail pen to one of the project beneficiaries, John Kidze, as he receives hunting gear from him (© WCS)

Cross River gorillas face diverse threats resulting from high human population densities around the areas they inhabit. Efforts to save these gorillas…

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Signs of Success in Sarambwe

Discussion between the population, VONA, ICCN and MONUSCO in Satambwe (© Claude Sikubwabo)

Conservation of the Sarambwe Reserve has faced many difficulties for many years: security problems, invasions of foreign nationals, and a lack of…

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Compasses and GPS Devices for the Rangers

[Translate to EN:] Unser Assistent Claude Sikubwabo übergibt Kompasse und GPS-Geräte an das ICCN (© Claude Sikubwabo)

For the Mikeno Sector we handed over this urgently needed equipment to the Virunga National Park administration.

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Repair of the Solar Power System

Food for Patrols

For their patrols in the Sarambwe Reserve during one year the rangers were provided with food rations.

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Training of HuGo Members

In the villages close to the gorilla national parks in Uganda and Rwanda, HuGo (Human-Gorilla Conflict Intervention) teams are working to improve the…

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Digital Cameras

We donated two digital cameras to the rangers of the Mikeno Sector (Virunga National Park) for gorilla monitoring.

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Binoculars for the rangers

For their work in the Sarambwe Reserve the rangers received two high-quality binoculars.

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Equipment for Gorilla Census

[Translate to EN:] Einheimische Träger bringen die Ausrüstung für die Bestandsaufnahme in den Wald (© Pius Nkumba, WCS TMLP)

For their patrols in the Sarambwe Reserve during one year the rangers were provided with food rations.

Related News:
<link en journal issues journal-no-38 external-link-new-window>Additional Support when the Going…

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Sweaters for Rangers

[Translate to Englisch:] Wildhüter des Kahuzi-Biega-Nationalparks mit neuen Pullovern (© Carlos Schuler)

The rangers of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park, of the Mikeno Sector in the Virunga National Park and of the Volcano National Park received green…

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Funding of School Fees, Uniforms and School Material for Pygmy Children

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Uniforms for the Virunga National Park and the Sarambwe Reserve

[Translate to EN:] Uniformen für den Virunga-Nationalpark und das Sarambwe-Reservat (© Claude Sikubwabo)

The rangers of the Mikeno Sector and the Sarambwe Reserve received complete uniforms with patches.

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Rain Jackets for the Rangers

[Translate to EN:] Wildhüter in Ruanda mit ihren neuen Wachsjacken

In the Mikeno Sector of the Virunga National Park and in the Volcano National Park the rangers received high-quality rain jackets from us.

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Rain Jackets and Backpacks for the Rangers

Rangers received urgently needed equipment from us.

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Construction of a Base Camp

[Translate to EN:] Das Basiscamp in den Mbe-Bergen (© Andrew Dunn)

In the Mbe Reserve a base camp was constructed with our donation.

Related News:
<link en journal issues journal-no-33>News from Nigeria

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Construction of a Ranger Post

[Translate to EN:] Der Rangerposten Bumaji (© Andrew Dunn)

In Bumaji (Cross River National Park) a new patrol post for the ranger was funded by us.

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Support of Urgent Needs of the Local Population

[Translate to EN:] Der Mwami (traditionelle Chef) vor dem Haus, in dem sich die Gemeinde versammelt (© Carlos Schuler)

In the surroundings of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park's corridor, community committees discussed the most urgent needs. According to their priority…

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