News Archive

Report from the Anniversary Meeting in Rostock

On the 15th and 16th June 2024, 52 members and friends of the Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe gathered to celebrate our 40th anniversary at the…

[details]

Revitalising the Management of the Itombwe Nature Reserve and Collaboration with the Local Population

Since 2021, relations between the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN)/Itombwe Nature Reserve (INR) and the local population of the…

[details]

Put them in the Ground and Let them Grow: Bwindi Tree Network Project

When traveling on the roads of Rubanda district, Uganda, you see pine trees everywhere: tall ones, short ones, big ones, small ones. Some trees may be…

[details]

The Usala Corridor - a Win-Win for Gorillas and People

There are very few communities left in the world that require a difficult, seven-day trek through dense jungle and across rushing rivers to reach.…

[details]

Dear Relatives

Are the Virunga Mountain Gorillas' closest relatives the Bwindi Mountain Gorillas?

Gorillas are subdivided into two species and four subspecies. In…

[details]

The Gorilla Doctors Michael Cranfield Regional One Health Laboratory

On January 31, 2024 Gorilla Doctors welcomed guests from around the world to celebrate the official opening of their state-of-the-art diagnostics…

[details]

Ranges of Western Lowland Gorillas

Western lowland gorilla ranges are in general larger than those of mountain gorillas - this has been the general opinion among researchers for a long…

[details]

When Gorillas 'Rescue' Themselves

On the morning of 19 February 2024, Dr. Lina Nturubika, a field veterinarian with Gorilla Doctors, hiked out from our Tshivanga field station at…

[details]

Unveiling the Conservation Journey: Insights from the 26th Tayna Gorilla Reserve General Assembly

The Réserve Naturelle de Tayna (Tayna Nature Reserve), where lush forests cradle some of the world's most endangered species, is a testament to the…

[details]

Support for Itombwe

Some patrols are carried out in the Itombwe Reserve with support from B&RD. However, their numbers are far from sufficient and they are very poorly…

[details]

SOS - Gorillas of the Itombwe Nature Reserve in Danger

An SOS is a 'red alert' signal triggered by a dangerous or life-threatening situation, such as a natural disaster. Here it is suggested that an…

[details]

Ape Trafficking Escalates as Demand Increases in the Middle East and South Asia

Africa's great ape sanctuaries have become inundated with new arrivals, rescued from the collateral damage of the bushmeat trade and targeted…

[details]

Balancing Act: The Imperative of Social and Ecological Justice in Kahuzi-Biega

Kahuzi-Biega National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the conflict-afflicted eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has…

[details]

Basket-weaving Training Project for Adolescent Mothers in Mt. Tshiaberimu

Mt. Tshiaberimu, a mountain range on which Grauer's gorillas are protected in the Virunga National Park, is surrounded by several villages. The main…

[details]

The impact of Tourist Visits on Mountain Gorilla Behaviour and Social Cohesion

Gorilla tourism has played a pivotal role in not only fostering the recovery of the endangered mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) but also…

[details]

Life History Patterns of Female Gorillas

The concept of net energy balance is familiar to all of us: we eat too many calories and we gain weight; we exercise a lot without changing caloric…

[details]

Gorillas, Chimpanzees and Forest Elephants Thrive in the Rio Campo Nature Reserve

Protected areas aim to conserve wildlife - particularly large, charismatic species like gorillas - while benefiting local communities. But in tropical…

[details]

The Kansere-Masakaru-Iyuma Forests in Utunda-Nord

The Kansere-Masakaru-Iyuma forests are located between the Usala Gorilla Reserve (RGU) and the Kisimba-Ikobo Primate Reserve (RPKI), in the vicinity…

[details]

Members' Meeting 2023 in Stuttgart

This year, the Stuttgart Museum of Natural History opened its doors for our two-day meeting. As a successful start into the weekend, the participants…

[details]

Mountain Gorilla Population Growth

New research from the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund analyses more than 50 years of demographic data to examine factors influencing variability in the…

[details]

Mining Menaces Itombwe Nature Reserve

In the remote Itombwe Nature Reserve in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), mining increasingly threatens nature conservation efforts.…

[details]

First Photo of a Silverback Gorilla in the Itombwe Nature Reserve

The Itombwe Nature Reserve (IRN) is one of the protected areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located in the Itombwe forest (GPS…

[details]

Behavioural Flexibility and Foraging Strategies of Wild Western Gorillas

Tropical rainforests are characterized by seasonal fluctuations in fruit availability with important inter-annual variations in tree productivity.…

[details]

GRACE Celebrates International Women's Day

The Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) Center, located in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, is centered on…

[details]

Interspecific Interactions between Sympatric Apes

Gorillas live sympatrically with chimpanzees in most of their distribution area, but there are only a few sites where both species have been…

[details]

Are Mountain Gorillas still "Wild"?

Everywhere in Africa human influence on gorillas and their habitats has become common. Interventions are severe everywhere, not only by deforestation,…

[details]

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…

[details]

The Beekeeping Project in Sarambwe Nature Reserve

Support for this project was requested because of strong demand from the local population of Rutshuru and Nyiragongo and the city of Goma, due to a…

[details]

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…

[details]

Climate Change in the Congo Basin

The Congo Basin covers an area of more than 4 million km² and is home to a number of different ecosystems. Grassy savannas in the North and South…

[details]

Understanding Visitors at Tourist Sites to Protect Great Apes from Disease

Nonhuman great apes (bonobos, chimpanzees, eastern gorillas, western gorillas and orangutans) are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases from…

[details]

Distribution and Habitat Use of Gorillas in the Ebo Forest

Although gorilla distribution and habitat use are fairly well known for many gorilla populations in Cameroon, very little is known concerning the Ebo…

[details]

As Temperatures Increase, Mountain Gorillas get Thirstier

Climate change is in the media on a daily basis, but the focus is often on arid ecosystems, while we rarely think about its impact on animals living…

[details]

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…

[details]

Gorillas our friends FOREVER

Uganda introduced gorilla tourism in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park In the early 1990s. At that time, the silverback Ruhondeza was the leader of…

[details]

GRACE Celebrates World Gorilla Day

It was early morning on 24 September, 2022, but the GRACE Education Team was already on the move. They had been planning for weeks: Zoom meetings,…

[details]

Community Reserves in a Retreating Environment

The natural forests in western North Kivu province and Maniema province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, are very rich in biodiversity of…

[details]

Another Gorilla Gives Birth on Mt. Tshiaberimu

For over a decade, there has been little hope for the survival of the Mount Tshiaberimu (or Tshiabirimu) gorillas. Several great ape experts…

[details]

Oil versus Forest in the Congo

In April 2022, Greenpeace reported that the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo planned to auction off concessions for the extraction…

[details]

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.…

[details]

Report of an Arrest

In view of the threats observed and documented in different areas, particularly in the Bafwasende area, central sector of the Maiko National Park…

[details]

2022 Members' Meeting

Finally a reunion with a full program! A total of 51 participants from all over Germany made their way to this year's meeting in Hanover. The meeting…

[details]

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,…

[details]

Illicit Trafficking of Baby Chimpanzees

In 2020, the management of Maiko National Park set up a system to dismantle the network of traffickers of baby chimpanzees, particularly in Bafwasende…

[details]

A Brief Account of the CoCoSi of Maiko National Park

Activities in protected areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are carried out in accordance with an annual operational plan drawn up by the…

[details]

Rearing Chickens

We reported on the efforts of the Sarambwe trackers to ensure the conservation of the reserve and asked for donations to thank them for the good work.…

[details]

Nkuba: a Community Reserve in Eastern D. R. Congo

In 2012, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International started a unique collaboration with local communities in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo…

[details]

Support for Communities

We have already supported many projects, which have turned out to be very successful, for the people of Mt. Tshiaberimu. Other communities around the…

[details]

Photos of Hope from Tayna Nature Reserve

In last December’s issue of the Gorilla Journal, the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) Center was thrilled to share our…

[details]

Inspiring the Next Generation

"What makes gorillas special?" It is a question each of us could answer in our own unique way. For some, it's the gorillas' gentle nature and…

[details]

Ecological Research in the Kivu Region

As we fly from Rwanda's capital Kigali to the Kivu region in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, our route stretches over a hilly landscape…

[details]

Multilevel Societies in Apes?

"Social system” is an umbrella term that encapsulates the social organisation (size and demographic composition of a social group), social structure…

[details]

Electric Fence Reduces Human-Wildlife Conflict

"For the past ten years, we had given up on planting maize. Buffalos could raid our farms a few weeks to harvesting and we could make immense losses.…

[details]

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Mountain Gorilla Health

Respiratory illness outbreaks among wild mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park have declined since the start of COVID-19, according to a…

[details]

Gorilla born on Mt. Tshiaberimu

In December 2021 (the exact date is not known) another gorilla was born on Mt. Tshiaberimu. The mother is Mwengeshali. We celebrate this success with…

[details]

Lethal Coalitionary Attacks of Chimpanzees on Gorillas in Loango National Park, Gabon

In 2019, in Loango National Park, Gabon, we observed two lethal coalitionary attacks by chimpanzees on gorillas, with each attack lasting approximatly…

[details]

Predicting Range Shifts of African Apes and Effectiveness of Protected Areas under Global Change Scenarios

Given a burgeoning human population and rapidly-growing global demand for natural resources, reconciling biodiversity conservation and human-related…

[details]

Conservation and Management of the Itombwe Nature Reserve: Major Challenges

The Itombwe Nature Reserve (INR) is located in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the province of South Kivu, west of Lake…

[details]

Dangerous Selfies with Gorillas

Visiting mountain gorillas is popular, and many of the visitors proudly present proof of their gorilla trekking in social media. However, to obtain…

[details]

Bushmeat and COVID-19; What Is the Connection?

The Simple Connection: Emerging Zoonotic Diseases and Human Health

'Bushmeat' is a term used to refer to wild meat in Africa, where forests are…

[details]

Great Ape Survey in Tayna Nature Reserve

In 2021, GRACE completed the first-ever great ape survey of the entire Tayna Nature Reserve, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). How…

[details]

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…

[details]

New Grauer's Gorilla Population Estimate

A recent paper in the American Journal of Primatology by Andrew Plumptre and colleagues examined the largest survey dataset for Grauer's gorillas Gori…

[details]

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…

[details]

COVID-19 in Gorillas

Here we will try to answer some of your questions. Giving an answer can be difficult, because little or nothing is known about some things. But we do…

[details]

COVID-19 in Captive Gorillas

Several gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. On 6 January, two of the…

[details]

Why Rangers in the Virunga National Park Are Under Attack

Another Attack on Rangers in the Virunga National Park

On 10 January 2021, 6 rangers lost their lives in an attack by armed…

[details]

Support Needed!

We now provide regular financial support for patrolling by rangers and trackers in four protected areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since…

[details]

Pressures on Natural Resources of the Maiko National Park

Management of the Maiko National Park (MNP) has remained difficult due to the presence of armed groups in different sectors of the park. The…

[details]

Restoration of Sarambwe Ranger Post and Current Activities

The Sarambwe ranger post was attacked during the evening of 10 October 2020 by a Mai Mai group operating in the vicinity of Sarambwe. A few days…

[details]

Gorilla Baby Boom in Bwindi?

In 2020, many gorillas were born within the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park's gorilla population; an exceptional number of 6 gorillas within 7 weeks…

[details]

Strengthened Human-Wildlife Conflict Measures Restore Hope in the Virungas

Regardless of the scotching sun and laborious work, a delighted face is the perfect description of Jean Bosco Ntawukibiwabo, as he works on a 3 m deep…

[details]

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…

[details]

Motherless Gorillas Beat the Odds

Researchers at the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund have used more than 50 years of data from Rwanda to discover how maternal loss influences young gorillas'…

[details]

Increased Gorilla Density May Lead to Increased Aggression

The number of mountain gorillas on the Virunga Volcanoes has increased continuously for four decades now, as was shown during the last censuses. The…

[details]

Addy, the Gorilla Hero Girl

Addy Barrett is a 13 years old girl gorilla enthusiast from Germantown, Maryland.
She organizes and runs different activities like lemonade stands,…

[details]

Thanks to everybody who supports us!

We are very grateful to you all for your invaluable support! Our Congolese assistant Claude Sikubwabo asked us to forward his thanks too:

"Thank you…

[details]

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…

[details]

COVID-19 Pandemic Cripples Community Livelihoods

For many households around mountain gorilla parks, tourism has been their lifeline. That is until the COVID-19 pandemic affected the tourism industry…

[details]

Zoonoses and Apes

Zoonoses are infectious diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans. Among viruses alone, there are more than 1,000 human pathogens,…

[details]

Why Are We Still Studying Gorillas? The Value of Long-Term Research of Bwindi Gorillas

A few years ago, when I was well into my now 30-year career studying gorillas, my father asked me, 'Don't we know enough about gorillas by now?'…

[details]

The Struggle for Survival in the Maiombe Forest Continues

The Maiombe National Park (MNP) covers a large part of the Maiombe forest component of Angola, an area of some 1,930 km² in Cabinda Province, an…

[details]

Conservation in the Crisis Region of Cameroon

This year, the Norwegian Refugee Council placed Cameroon in the top spot for the world's forgotten crises. The conservation of the Cross River…

[details]

Mitigating the Impact of COVID-19 on Gorillas at Bwindi

We founded Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) in 2003 to prevent zoonotic diseases being transmitted between people and wildlife following…

[details]

Deadly Attack on the Sarambwe Ranger Post (closed)

In this article we will give an overview of the management of Sarambwe Nature Reserve (SNR) and a history of the attacks that have taken place in the…

[details]

Obituary to Kupe Cowboy

Simon 'Kupe' Ngwese, better known as 'Kupe Cowboy', lived a full life. Born in around 1940, to a poor family in Kupe village, near Tombel,…

[details]

SaveBwindi

[Translate to Englisch:]

When Astrid Ebert and Thomas Schulz visited Bwindi National Park and its gorillas 10 years ago, they were delighted. In view of the Corona pandemic…

[details]

COVID-19 and Gorilla Doctors

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Never before have we understood the concept of One Health more…

[details]

Conservation Efforts and Costs for Monitoring Gorillas at Douguetsi Site, Gabon

Despite the efforts of conservation NGOs and research teams, the expansion of anthropogenic activities such as bushmeat hunting, logging, and…

[details]

A Tragedy in Bwindi

The silverback Rafiki was killed in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, presumably by poachers. Rafiki was a member of the mountain gorilla group…

[details]

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…

[details]

1,063 Mountain Gorillas - What Does this Number Mean?

My entire childhood was spent in the south of France, on a hill between an evergreen oak forest and the garrigue. Our family had a lot of cats, who…

[details]

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…

[details]

Communities in Sarambwe

It is not easy to convince the local population of the benefits of nature conservation if the living conditions are as difficult as they are in the…

[details]

Gorillas of the Ebo Forest Threatened by Proposed Forest Management Units for Timber Exploitation

The Government of Cameroon has proposed two Forest Management Units (FMU) for timber exploitation which completely cover the proposed Ebo National…

[details]

A Long-Term Monitoring Programme for Great Apes in Monte Alén National Park

Equatorial Guinea's forests maintain some of the highest levels of biodiversity in Central Africa (Sunderland 2005). Despite its small size, the…

[details]

Itombwe Nature Reserve: Conservation Efforts 2017 to 2019

The East African Albertine Rift is known for its extremely high biodiversity and endemism, the highest in continental Africa, and has been the subject…

[details]

Mount Tshiaberimu - the Science behind the Mountain of Spirits

The northern sector of Mount Tshiaberimu is an integral part of the Virunga National Park (VNP), the west is adjacent to Lake Edward in North Kivu…

[details]

Reactions of Wild Great Apes to Camera-trap Devices

Camera trapping has become a predominant method for wildlife monitoring (Burton et al. 2015; Steenweg et al. 2017), including primates (Gerber et al.…

[details]

Can Gorillas Be Infected with COVID-19?

Many gorilla friends have already asked themselves this question. So far, the answer is not yet known. However, since many other viruses are dangerous…

[details]

How Is the EAZA Great Ape TAG Linked to in situ Conservation?

Modern zoos are institutions that contribute towards conservation education through the conservation and research of living beings and their natural…

[details]

Efficient Cooking Stoves for the Population at Mt. Tshiaberimu

Currently the supply of electric power covers less than 30 % of the energy and is available only for a small percentage of the population in eastern…

[details]

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…

[details]

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…

[details]

Critical Forest Corridor for Cross River Gorillas Threatened

Protecting forest corridors that allow movement and genetic exchange between Cross River gorilla subpopulations and groups is critical to their…

[details]

Protection of the Cross River Gorillas in Takamanda

The Takamanda National Park is not only a home to many of the endangered Cross River gorillas (Gorilla gorilla diehli), but also to people. Currently,…

[details]

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…

[details]

Stay or leave? Female Reproductive Costs in Western Gorillas

Western gorillas live in social groups that consist of one silverback, several females and immature offspring. Females rely on the silverback who,…

[details]

Progress at GRACE Amid Serious Challenges

The past two years have proven challenging for the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) Center, the world's only sanctuary for…

[details]

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…

[details]

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…

[details]

GRASP & IUCN Great Apes Status Report 2018: Summary

Great ape populations in Africa and Asia are severely threatened by the combined impacts of habitat loss, poaching, illegal trade, and disease. Since…

[details]

Secrets of Western Lowland Gorilla Highly Social Behaviour Revealed

A recent study unveils some of the enigmas associated with the social behaviour of the western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) from the…

[details]

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…

[details]

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…

[details]

The Itombwe Nature Reserve Faces Many Threats

Regretfully, we must draw the attention of the conservation community to an observation made during our last environmental education mission on 29…

[details]

New Exhibition by Chisato Abe

During 5 to 11 December 2018, Japanese artist Chisato Abe organized her solo exhibition at the exhibition hall of KOBE DAIMARU, a department store in…

[details]

A Poaching Categorization Scheme

Great ape conservation experts from the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently…

[details]

Omari Ilambu 1959-2018

Omari Ilambu was a much loved and highly respected conservationist who left us suddenly and unexpectedly in November. Omari worked for the Congolese…

[details]

Clubs des Amis des Gorilles in the Ebo Forest

The Ebo forest is one of the largest remaining intact forest tracts in the Gulf of Guinea Biodiversity Hotspot (Morgan et al. 2011) and it is in the…

[details]

Give Me Your Dung And I Will Tell You Who You Are

In many primate species individuals coordinate their activities, share space and form groups. But how do groups form, how long can they exist and how…

[details]

The Impact of Neighbours on Bwindi Gorillas' Spacing Patterns

Finding food and mates is vital for all animals, so that they can grow, maintain metabolic functions, and reproduce. The way animals use their…

[details]

Long-term Biomonitoring on Great Apes Using Camera Traps at Kahuzi-Biega

Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP) is home to exceptionally diverse flora and fauna and represents an important site in the Albertine Rift, one of the…

[details]

Law Enforcement in Itombwe Reserve

Conservation approaches in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have evolved from fine and fences, top-down approaches to adaptive co-management…

[details]

Banro's Activities in the Itombwe Nature Reserve

After investigation and verification on site, the management team of Itombwe Nature Reserve confirms with regret that the company Banro has not only…

[details]

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)…

[details]

International Primatological Society Meeting in Nairobi

From 19-25 August 2018, the biannual conference of the International Primatological Society, organised by Johannes Refisch (GRASP), took place in the…

[details]

Certified Gorilla Friendly - Safeguarding Gorilla Tourism as a Conservation Tool

The International Gorilla Conservation Programme has been operating for more than 25 years, and has provided financial and technical support for the…

[details]

Education Efforts Prevent a "Blackback" Cross River Gorilla from Being Killed

Recording a scene of the drama for My Gorilla - My Community (© WCS Nigeria)

In November 2017, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) received a report of a lone male Cross River gorilla sighted near two Nigerian villages (Ofambe…

[details]

New Population Estimate for Western Lowland Gorillas

Kamaya, Loango National Park, Gabon (© Martha Robbins)

In a paper published in the journal Science Advances, Samantha Strindberg, Fiona Maisels and 52 coauthors provide the most comprehensive assessment to…

[details]

Memories - Working with Two Mountain Gorillas in the Cologne Zoo

Brian Batstone with Coco

The two mountain gorillas from the Virunga Mountains in Rwanda, Coco and Pucker, arrived in the Cologne Zoo in May 1969. At that time it was a very…

[details]

Gorillas in our Midst: the Current Whereabouts of Coco and Pucker

Pucker in her diorama setting in the FMNH (© Janne Granroth)

Dian Fossey's famous book Gorillas in the Mist (1983) contains several memorable episodes from her years of studying the mountain gorillas in the…

[details]

Being a Good Guest - A Guide for Tourists Visiting Gorillas

Tourists with Mukiza, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (© Martha Robbins)

As with many types of wildlife tourism, viewing gorillas has grown in popularity since the 1980s. Currently tourists can visit more than 20 gorilla…

[details]

Street Lighting in Mwenga Centre

One of the street lights during the ceremony (© ICCN RNI)

The Democratic Republic of the Congo teems with important natural and biological resources. As they are so important for growth, development, the…

[details]

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…

[details]

More Rangers Killed in Virunga National Park

During a rebel attack on 9 April 2018, five rangers and a driver were killed. Another ranger was wounded. The team was ambushed while driving through…

[details]

Silverback Sagas: Dominance Struggles Among Male Gorillas

When powerful silverbacks jostle for dominance within a group, they can sustain very serious injuries with their long canine teeth. Over the last 30…

[details]

Conserving the Ebo Gorillas through Community Collaboration

Cameroon is home to many primate species of high conservation value, including drills, Preuss's red colobus, and gorillas (Morgan et al. 2011). Both…

[details]

Strengthening Transboundary Conservation of Cross River Gorillas

Restricted to the rainforest region along the border between Nigeria and Cameroon, the Cross River gorilla Gorilla gorilla diehli is Africa's most…

[details]

Variation in Gorilla Behaviour - and Culture?

Culture is a large part of what makes us human. However, we are not the only species that exhibits culture. Culture in non-human animals, defined as…

[details]

Tribute to Kanyonyi

It is with great sadness to inform you about the loss of one of my favorite gorillas in Bwindi, Kanyonyi, the lead silverback of Mubare group. He died…

[details]

A One Health Approach to Gorilla Conservation

"One Health" is an approach that addresses human, animal and ecosystem health together. We founded Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) in 2003…

[details]

DFGF Celebrates 50 Years of Karisoke

It is 50 years now that Dian Fossey established the Karisoke Research Center to study the little known mountain gorillas in the Volcanoes National…

[details]

Bandits Kill an Itombwe Ranger

On 5 May, 2017 a convoy of conservation workers from the Itombwe Reserve was ambushed by an armed group. During this attack, a ranger was fatally…

[details]

Virunga Park Again Threatened by Oil

Conservationists had hoped that Virunga National Park has been granted a reprieve after the 2015 withdrawal of the oil company SOCO who had wanted to…

[details]

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…

[details]

Colin P. Groves - 24 June 1942 to 30 November 2017

Anyone working with or interested in gorillas knows the name of Colin Groves. And anyone who not only knows the name but met the man himself knows…

[details]

The Dream of the Forest

Chisato Abe's exhibition of paintings of gorillas called "The Dream of Forest" was held at the Art Gallery located in the newly opened mega-department…

[details]

Community Conservation Is More Beneficial for the Park and Local Communities

This is a quote regularly heard among communities around the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after…

[details]

A Tribute to Colo

On 22 December 1956, the Columbus Zoo made history with the birth of the first zoo-born gorilla. Eventually named Colo in honor of her birthplace,…

[details]

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…

[details]

Survey of the Cross River Gorilla at the Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary in Cameroon

In January 2014 I started to study the ecology of Cross River gorillas at the Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary (THWS) in collaboration with the local…

[details]

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…

[details]

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…

[details]

On the Road to Extinction? A Population Estimate of Great Apes in Itombwe

Periodic censuses of threatened wildlife populations of high profile species help us to understand their population dynamics, assess the success of…

[details]

Conservation and Sensitization Activities at Sarambwe Reserve: April 2016 to March 2017

In the Sarambwe Reserve, conservation and sensitization activities have been carried out mainly by the trackers and the troops based in Sarambwe (a…

[details]

2017 Members' Meeting

The meeting of Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe in Krefeld Zoo was a resounding success, both for the Board, who got to know new members and…

[details]

Protection of Itombwe

The Itombwe Nature Reserve is a key site for biodiversity in Africa. Although Grauer’s gorilla numbers have declined drastically, there is still…

[details]

Grauer’s Gorilla Now Critically Endangered

During the IUCN World Conservation Congress in September 2016, updates in the Red List of Threatened Species were made public. Not surprising was that…

[details]

African Primatologists Form Society

It is widely acknowledged that the long-term conservation of African primates depends largely on Africans themselves, and this requires that Africans…

[details]

Participation in the World Congress of Rangers in Colorado

The International Ranger Federation (IRF) is an international non-profit organisation that supports ranger groups worldwide who have chosen a…

[details]

Gorilla Nest Types in Kahuzi-Biega

All species of great apes construct night nests; sometimes in trees and sometimes on the ground. This article is based on daily long-term observations…

[details]

First Twins Born to Habituated Western Lowland Gorillas

At the end of January 2016 the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas complex in the Central African Republic recorded the first ever western lowland gorilla…

[details]

The "Walk through the Dja"

The conservation action plan for western lowland gorillas and central chimpanzees identifies 18 priority landscapes (IUCN 2014). One of them is the…

[details]

Gorilla Habituation for Research and Tourism in Loango

Two components of gorilla conservation are research and tourism. Research provides the baseline information concerning the natural ecological and…

[details]

On a Road to Nowhere?

After 16 years of continuous rule under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and record levels of corruption and mismanagement, Nigeria elected a new…

[details]

Rehabilitating Grauer's Gorillas at GRACE

The Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) Center is the world's only sanctuary for Grauer's gorillas orphaned by poaching and the…

[details]

Participatory Mapping in the Itombwe Nature Reserve

The Itombwe Massif is one of the important areas for biodiversity in the Albertine Region. It is mainly known for the discovery of the eastern lowland…

[details]

Implication of Local Communities for the Management of Maiko

Over several decades, humans cohabited with the organisms in their environment more or less harmoniously. But recently, the use of modern tools in…

[details]

The Virunga Communications Post Installation

Security problems in the Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo, have been a severe danger for the park's wildlife and its forests,…

[details]

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…

[details]

Seed Dispersal by Western Lowland Gorillas: from Fruits to Seedlings

African tropical rainforests, the second most important biodiversity refuge after the Amazonian basin, host a multitude of plant species. The majority…

[details]

The Story of Two Pioneers in the Habituation of Eastern Gorillas

Scientifically, there are four subspecies of gorillas: Gorilla beringei beringei, Gorilla beringei graueri, Gorilla gorilla gorilla and Gorilla…

[details]

Clean Water for Cross River Conservation; Rangers on the Frontlines

In a previous article, we documented bushmeat trafficking out of West/Central Africa for sale in underground markets in Europe and North America.…

[details]

Improving Law Enforcement Monitoring in the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary

The Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary (AMWS) in Nigeria is the western-most Cross River gorilla site and home to about 10 % of the total Cross River…

[details]

Ape Dung to Restore Degraded and Fragmented Forest Habitats

Though restoring forest is not a substitute to preserve intact forest, for sites where large parts of the forest have already been cleared, restoring…

[details]

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…

[details]

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…

[details]

Help for Mount Tshiaberimu

With its unique mountain forest, Mt Tshiaberimu is part of the Virunga National Park, but despite its great importance for conservation it remains at…

[details]

Bwindi Apes Conservation Education Partnership

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

[details]

Report on the General Meeting 2016

On 16 and 17 April, our biannual meeting was held in Hannover Zoo. With about 50 members and guests it was very well attended. The event started at 2…

[details]

Grauer’s Gorilla Population Reduced Dramatically

Grauer's gorillas are a subspecies of eastern gorillas and live in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo - an area where fighting between various…

[details]

First Videos of Ebo Gorillas

San Diego Zoo Global conservationists working with video traps have confirmed the presence of a small troop of western gorillas in Ebo Forest.…

[details]

African Tropical Forests Are under Stress

Tropical deforestation is well known to have serious negative consequences for biodiversity, terrestrial carbon sinks and the balance of atmospheric…

[details]

Gorilla Folk Filmmaking in the Cross River Headwaters

In the Lebialem highlands of Southwest Cameroon, people say that if a hunter kills a gorilla, a person (often a village notable) dies. Connected by a…

[details]

Going the "SMART" Way in Nigeria and Cameroon

The Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) is new and improved software for measuring, evaluating and improving the effectiveness of wildlife…

[details]

Feeding Competition in Female Bwindi Mountain Gorillas

All animals - including humans - must eat to survive. The energy derived from food is necessary to sustain basic metabolic and muscle functions,…

[details]

The Sarambwe Reserve: Current Developments and Threats

This article documents activities implemented in the Sarambwe Reserve and the almost continuous threats to the conservation of the reserve. It is…

[details]

The Conservation of Itombwe Nature Reserve

Itombwe Nature Reserve (INR) is a key site for biodiversity in Africa in general and the region of the Albertine Rift in particular (Doumenge &…

[details]

Videos with and about Cross River Gorillas

Rare Footage of Cross River Gorillas Captured by the Wildlife Conservation Society

The Wildlife Conservation Society set up camera traps in the…

[details]

New Action Plan for Western Lowland Gorilla Conservation

Priority landscapes for western lowland gorilla and central chimpanzee conservation (Courtesy of Danielle LaBruna and Fiona Maisels)

Most of the world’s gorillas and about one-third of all chimpanzees live in Western Equatorial Africa: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial…

[details]

Members' meeting in Rostock

Zoo Direktor Udo Nagel addresses the participants in the Darwineum lecture hall. (© Ravid Aloni)

Our members' meeting was held in Rostock this year. We had a perfect time at the zoo there, listening to various presentations, chatting with our…

[details]

Community-led Conservation Action in the Ebo Forest, Cameroon

ACTRIFE family photo after the general assembly at Douala

The Ebo forest in Littoral Region, Cameroon harbours a rich biodiversity of primates, including gorillas and chimpanzees. The government of Cameroon…

[details]

Ranging on Community Land and Crop-Raiding by Bwindi Gorillas

Getting ready to start the vegetation sampling outside Bwindi with the vegetation team (Philemon Tumwesigye, Christopher Byaruhanga, Emmanuel Tibenda and Nicole Seiler) (© Nicole Seiler)

Conflict between people and animals is one of the main threats to the continued survival of many wildlife species and also represents risks to local…

[details]

The Status of Grauer's Gorilla in the Usala Forest

Nkomo mountain which supports gorillas, taken from Rama village (© Stuart Nixon)

The Usala forest sits at the heart of the 30,000 km² Maiko Tayna region of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and is among the most intact,…

[details]

Can the Gorillas of Mt. Tshiaberimu Survive?

Planting of passion fruit seeds in sacks at the Vurusi nursery

In previous articles we have documented the invaluable support Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe has provided over the years to gorilla and habitat…

[details]

GRACE Forest Enclosure

One of the orphans climbs a tree in the new enclosure (© Andrew Bernard)

Located in the Kasugho region of North Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), near the Tayna Nature Reserve, the Gorilla Rehabilitation…

[details]

Tracking of Grauer's Gorillas in North Kivu

A camera trap placed in the forest caught a group of Grauer’s gorillas. (© DFGFI)

The effective protection of a gorilla population requires a solid knowledge of the demography, ecology and behaviour of their social groups. The…

[details]

Using Remote Video Camera Traps for Multi-Species Assessments in Gabon

Camera trap (© Josephine Head)

Accurate population assessments of endangered species are of great importance for determining conservation priorities and measuring the success of…

[details]

Rukina - Life Summary

[Translate to EN:] Der Silberrückenmann Rukina, der die Kyagurilo-Gruppe in Bwindi geleitet hat, ist gestorben. (© Martha M. Robbins/MPI-EVAN)

We estimate that Rukina was born around 1984. He was well identified as a group member of the Kyagurilo Group in the late 1990s when he was a young…

[details]

Maiko National Park Progress Report

Maiko National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo, lies in one of the most remote forest areas in the world. It is an incredible wilderness area,…

[details]

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…

[details]

Update: Conflict in the Central African Republic

The Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas (DSPA), located in the southwestern Central African Republic (CAR) and the northern edge of the Congo basin, is…

[details]

Gorilla Group Formation and Dynamics

Gorillas spend the major part of their life in small social groups led by a mature silverback male. Only young blackback males and mature silverback…

[details]

Oil Exploration in Virunga Park

In 2013, WWF started the campaign "Draw the Line" to stop the British oil company SOCO's explorations for oil in the Virunga National Park, Democratic…

[details]

Two Silverbacks Die in Rwanda

The 21-year-old silverback male Umushikirano (Rano), leader of Titus group in Volcanoes National Park, was found dead on July 28, 2014 by trackers.…

[details]

Equitable Conservation for Bwindi's Gorillas

Mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetra­ble National Park, Uganda, live in one of the poorest regions of Africa. This creates a major challenge for…

[details]

Ebola Reduces Bushmeat Consumption

Bushmeat traders in Watt Market in Calabar, Cross River State, South Eastern Nigeria, are lamenting the poor sales of bushmeat since the outbreak of…

[details]

History of Habituated Gorillas in Bwindi

[Translate to EN:] Mutter und Kind in der Kyagurilo-Gruppe

Habituation of wild gorillas has long been a useful tool for research and conservation programs. Decisions to habituate gorillas typically reflect a…

[details]

Conservation Messages Through Films

[Translate to EN:] Vorführung eines GAEP-Films (© Michelle A. Slavin/NC Zoo UNITE)

Conservation education acts as a bridge between researchers and com­munity members by taking research and turning it into fun and engaging information…

[details]

Conservation in Sarambwe Returns to Normal

The Sarambwe Reserve is located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, adjacent to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Since the arrival of…

[details]

Getting off the "in Danger" List: Kahuzi-Biega

A poacher camp in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (© ICCN)

The Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP) has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980. Since 1997, it has been on the list of World Heritage Sites in…

[details]

Gorilla Tourism - a Social Perspective

Gorilla tourism and conservation can­not be sustained if it is not supported by fringe communities around the parks. Gorilla ecotourism areas are…

[details]

Two Leading Silverbacks Die

Mishaya, the leader of the Mishaya group, died on 3 February, 2014 at the age of 28 years after a short illness. Preliminary results indicate that his…

[details]

Using Technology in the Mbe Mountains

The <link 244 _blank internal-link "MBe Mountains">Mbe Mountains</link> form part of an important habitat corridor linking Afi Mountain Wildlife…

[details]

Bushmeat Trafficking in Switzerland

Illegal meats for human consumption are smuggled daily into airports worldwide and some of this meat originates from wild species, including primates.…

[details]

General Meeting Held in Basel

April 2014: Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe invited its members to Basel for the general members' meeting, which took place in the "Zolli"…

[details]

Restoration in Eastern Congo

Trackers in front of the Sarambwe patrol post that cannot be used at the moment (© Claude Sikubwabo)

The rebel group M23 stopped fighting at the beginning of November 2013 and gave up. They had been fighting the Congolese army in eastern Congo for…

[details]

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…

[details]

Geriatric Gorillas

[Translate to Englisch:] Colo

December 22, 1956, was a historic day for the zoological world as we welcomed the first successful zoo gorilla birth - a female, eventually named Colo…

[details]

The Sarambwe Reserve and the War

[Translate to Englisch:] Claude Sikubwabo mit Sarambwe-Wildhütern

It has been approximately two decades since Sarambwe Forest descended into chaos, with the potential to end in the degradation of its ecosystems or…

[details]

Oil Palm Plantations in Africa

The oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) has its origin in West Africa. Palm oil is a common cooking ingredient in equatorial Africa, Southeast Asia and parts…

[details]

Bushmeat Hunting Changes African Rainforests

Hunting often devastates populations of large mammals, and this may have impact on other animal and plant communities. In two recent studies (Effiom…

[details]

Landslides Hit Afi Sanctuary

[Translate to Englisch:] Einer der Landrutsche

The Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary (AMWS) occupies approximately 100 km² in the north-western area of the Afi River Forest Reserve in the northern…

[details]

The Economic Value of Virunga Park

In response to the granting of oil concessions in Virunga National Park (Virunga) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), WWF launched a…

[details]

The Work of Art of Conservation

[Translate to Englisch:] Schüler der Rushubi-Schule in Musanze, Ruanda, singen ein Friedenslied

Art of Conservation (AoC) is pleased to celebrate our first 7 years of successful creative learning and community development programs about…

[details]

Gorillas and Other Primates Discussed in Nairobi

We attended the 19th International Scientific Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, from 11 to 13 September 2013. It was jointly organised by the Institute of…

[details]

Can the Mayombe Forest be Saved?

[Translate to Englisch:] Mayombe: der Wald hinten liegt in Cabinda; vorn Niari, Republik Kongo

The Mayombe forest ("Maiombe" in Angola. "Mayombe" in Congo and DRC, and as agreed in the transfrontier context, and "Mayumba in Gabon), stretching…

[details]

Second Gorillas Across Africa Workshop

Following a successful first edition of the Gorillas Across Africa Workshop in Uganda in 2011, a second workshop was organized in 2012 by the Max…

[details]

Park Protects Swamp Dwelling Gorillas

Swampy forest with Marantaceae

In 2000, WCS Senior Conservationist, and National Geographic explorer, Mike Fay set off on his now famous MegaTransect through the forests of Central…

[details]

Gorillas in the Dimonika Biosphere Reserve

Approaching the Dimonika Biosphere Reserve

Designated in 1988 under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program, Dimonika Biosphere Reserve is located in the central Mayombe Mountain chain in the…

[details]

Cameroon Loses a Cross River Gorilla

On March 1, 2013, the Cameroon conservation community was taken aback when news reached them about the brutal killing of a silverback male of the…

[details]

Communities Get Involved in Gorilla Protection

The conservation of our gorillas can only be safeguarded through good governance, involving all stakeholders among the local communities resident in…

[details]

A Visit to Kahuzi-Biega

The Kahuzi-Biega National Park is located in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo near the big city of Bukavu on the southern shore of…

[details]

Tree Nesting in Mawambi Hills Gorillas

Mawambi is a 43 km² lowland forest site, also known as Takpe/Awuri, located to the southeast of the Takamanda National Park in Cameroon. The Ma­wambi…

[details]

Blood Samples from Tshiaberimu Gorillas

On a small forested island in the western region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Virunga National Park, a tiny population of Grauer's…

[details]

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…

[details]

Shifting Trend of Ape Trafficking

Wildlife law enforcement operation in East of Cameroon led to arrest of traffickers in gorilla parts. (© LAGA)

In recent years, the trafficking of Afri­ca's apes has evolved into a highly organized criminal activity, but the situation has remained largely…

[details]

Conservation Action Plan in Congo

UGADEC region in northeastern Congo

Some of the largest tracts of forest habitat in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo are located in the Walikale and Lubutu territories.…

[details]

DFGF Grauer’s Gorilla Program

[Translate to EN:] Das Biruwe-Team (©DFGFI)

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund In­ter­na­tio­nal (DFGFI) has expanded its efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to build a new Grauer’s…

[details]

Two New Grauer's Gorillas Orphans

[Translate to EN:] Isangi mit ihrem Pfleger

On September 13, 2012, a young gorilla was brought to the Kahuzi-Biega National Park headquarters by a community conservation group, who claimed to…

[details]

Gorilla Guardian Update

Takpe chief receiving WCS in the community (© WCS/Takamanda-Mone Landscape Project)

The Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) is Critically Endangered, with perhaps fewer than 250 individuals remaining within their range, which…

[details]

The Bambidie Gorillas

Female and offspring in the bai

The Bambidie Gorilla Project (BGP), founded in 2008, aims to preserve a population of western lowland go­ril­las, between the villages of…

[details]

Orphan Gorilla Confiscation in Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea is experiencing a dramatic oil-fuelled economic boom which over the last decade has in­creased incomes, encouraged urban migration…

[details]

Guide Refresher Training at Bai Hokou and Mongambe

The Primate Habituation Programme (PHP) in the Central African Republic is an integral part of the conservation activities of Dzanga-Sangha Protected…

[details]

Support of the Simba inside Maiko

A meeting of representatives of ICCN, the military and FZS with the Simba (© Eugene Izinga)

The Maiko National Park (MNP) is one of 7 national parks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It was established by Presidential Decree…

[details]

Bwindi Gorilla Number Increased to 400

The census team working (© IGCP)

A census of the gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park conducted in 2011 confirms a minimum population of 400 gorillas, raising the world…

[details]

Action Plan for Cross River Gorillas

Cross River gorilla Action Plan workshop session (© Sean Southey)

In 2007 IUCN published a five-year (2007–2011) regional Action Plan for the conservation of the Cross River gorilla Gorilla gorilla diehli (Oates et…

[details]

Gorilla Diversity

[Translate to Englisch:] Westlicher Gorilla im Zoo und Berggorilla in Bwindi

Present Gorilla Taxonomy

A species is a population (or group of populations), distinguished by the possession of one or more consistent heritable…

[details]

Club des Amis des Gorilles

His Majesty the Paramount Chief of Ndokbiakat (the Ebo region) addressing delegates at the first Ebo Chief’s meeting, in June 2011 (© ZSSD/Abwe Abwe)

An isolated population of gorillas lives in the Ebo forest, Cameroon, between the Cross River gorillas and the western lowland gorillas south of the…

[details]

New Gorilla Guardians in Cameroon (closed)

[Translate to EN:] Gorillahüter-Kandidaten (© Amelia Stott, WCS Takamanda-Mone Landscape Project)

The Cross River gorillas in Cameroon need our help again! We received a request from Christopher Jameson, the Director of the WCS project for the…

[details]

Transboundary Collaboration in Mayombe

The Mayombe area

The Mayombe forest, part of the Guineo-Congolian biome, forms the south-western part of the tropical rainforest in the Congo Basin, and the southern…

[details]

Extensive Patrols in Maiko

Poachers arrested in the park

As part of the monitoring activities taking place In Maiko National Park during the festive period, between Christmas 2011 and the New Year, extensive…

[details]

Burhinyi Community Forest

Approximate position of the Burhinyi Community Forest (© Angela Meder based on a map by Dominique Bikaba)

The Burhinyi Community Forest, located in the South Kivu province of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is one of several patches of…

[details]

Human–Wildlife Conflict Management in the Virunga area

Banana plant destroyed by gorillas at the edge of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (© Michele Goldsmith)

Human–wildlife conflict is a major conservation and management issue wherever people and wildlife coexist. It can take many forms, including the…

[details]

The 7-metre Gorilla Tracking Regulation

An UWA ranger informs gorilla tourist on the correct behaviour. (© Allison C. Hanes)

The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is listed as Critically Endangered (C1) by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature…

[details]

Cross River Gorilla Video

The Wildlife Conservation Society caught a group of Cross River gorillas on video for the first time - in the Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary, Cameroon.

Cl…

[details]

Ebo: Clubs des Amis des Gorilles (closed)

Near the Ebo forest, Bethan Morgan and Ekwoge Enang Abwe are starting to develop “Clubs des Amis des Gorilles” in each of the villages closest to the…

[details]

News from Gorilla Genetics

[Translate to EN:] Zoo-Gorilla Pertinax (© Angela Meder)

After the sequencing of the gorilla genome, the authors report unexpected results. The standard view of the evolutionary relationship between the…

[details]

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…

[details]

Law Enforcement Ensures Great Ape Survival

Rangers on patrol in the Sarambwe Reserve (© Augustin Rwimo)

Recent studies show that the populations of African great apes are rapidly decreasing. To prevent this, conservationists always try to find out which…

[details]

Tree Nurseries in Schools

Students in the tree nursery (© Augustin Rwimo)

Can they Make a Contribution to Conservation?

Everything developed as a result of lessons learnt from two concurrent projects: the project for the…

[details]

Mondberge visits Ruhija

[Translate to EN:] Gorilla bei Ruhija (© www.mondberge.com)

Uganda, June 2011: After our fascinat­ing hike through the Ruwenzoris and a short safari in the Queen Elizabeth National Park we were looking forward…

[details]

Searching for Solutions to the Threats to Maiko

[Translate to EN:] Camp von Minenarbeitern an der Grenze des Parks

Conservation in the Maiko National Park (MNP) remains difficult: the intensity of threats to the park has not decreased. It is an enormous challenge…

[details]

Maiko and the Simba

[Translate to EN:] Illegale Mine im Park

The Maiko National Park (MNP) is one of the least known and most biodiverse of all parks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo comprising over…

[details]

Key Species Monitoring Plan for Kahuzi-Biega

[Translate to EN:] Gorilla-Familien

A monitoring plan for gorillas and elephants has just been launched in the highland sector of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP). Its pur­pose is…

[details]

Orphaned Gorilla Care

[Translate to EN:] Jan Ramer, rechts, bei der Untersuchung von Shamavu

Gorilla confiscations are on the rise in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. So far this year 3 eastern lowland, or Grauer’s gorillas have been…

[details]

New Gorilla Orphan Confiscated

Ihirwe

A new orphan gorilla infant arrived in the night on Sunday, August 7th, 2011, at the care facility in Kinigi, Rwanda operated by the Dian Fossey…

[details]

The 2011 Kwita Izina

[Translate to EN:] Aufführung bei der Kwita Izina

Rwanda demonstrates how much the country values its few remaining mountain gorillas. Every year, Kwita Izina is celebrated in June. All mountain…

[details]

Feeding Ecology of Sympatric Apes

[Translate to EN:] Ein Gorilla-Silberrückenmann auf der Suche nach Früchten in Loango.

Examining dietary composition and overlap between species living within the same environment is important for improving our understanding of their…

[details]

Information Sharing for Gorilla Conservation: a Workshop in Ruhija

[Translate to EN:] Die Teilnehmer des Gorillaschutz-Workshops

Gorilla conservationists and re­search­ers working on the ground at different sites often face the challenge of accessing valuable yet unpublished…

[details]

Gorilla Orphans in D. R. Congo

Jan Ramer examines wounds on Ndakasi’s hand. (© Molly Feltner/MGVP)

Mountain Gorilla Orphans

On November 23, 2010, 9-year-old female Maisha and 7-year-old male Kaboko moved from the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary…

[details]

A New Genetic Perspective on Gorillas

Over the last two decades genetic studies have greatly influenced our understanding of the complex evolutionary history of one of our closest living…

[details]

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…

[details]

Human Metapneumovirus Infection

Mararo grooming her sick son Impundu (© Magdalena Braum)

The genetic relatedness of mountain gorillas and humans has led to concerns about interspecies transmission of infectious agents. Human-to-gorilla…

[details]

Threats to Maiko National Park 2011

Paulin Wilondja-As-Ngobobo with the confiscated Lubutu (© ICCN)

While the Maiko National Park still contains a high biodiversity, it is increasingly obvious that its conservation is still dependent on finding a…

[details]

Gorillas in Deng-Deng

Location of the Deng Deng and Mbam et Djerem National Parks in Cameroon and Gorilla gorilla gorilla distribution (© Angela Meder (information: Fiona Maisels)

Deng Deng - Previous Surveys

In 1998 an environmental impact survey of a proposed oil pipeline route from Chad to Cameroon was commissioned by the…

[details]

Wildlife Trafficking in Gabon

Chimpanzee and gorilla hands confiscated during the operation in January 2011 (© Luc Mathot)

The critical situation of the elephants and the great apes, and their role in the regeneration of the tropical forest, are well documented and…

[details]

Gorilla Killers Arrested in Congo

Hands of gorillas killed by a poacher in northern Congo (© PROGEPP – Projet Gestion des Ecosystèmes Périphériques au Parc National Nouabalé-Ndoki)

Two men were recently arrested in the Kabo forestry concession in northern Republic of Congo for hunting a gorilla. The hunt was carried out during…

[details]

The Aspinall Foundation's Project in Gabon

Sophie with Antsia, Mbundu and Tonga (© PPG Gabon)

Over the last 12 years, UK-charity The Aspinall Foundation has been running a unique western lowland gorilla rehabilitation and reintroduction project…

[details]

New Gorilla Census in Kahuzi-Biega 2010

Chimanuka and one of his offspring (© Angela Meder)

A census team led by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) in Kahuzi-Biega National…

[details]

Renovation Afi Base

The new sleeping shed at Afi Base Camp (© Inaoyom Imong)

Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary is the most westerly of three sites in Nigeria where Cross River gorillas occur, the other two sites being the Mbe…

[details]

Situation in the Babira Bakwame Area, Kahuzi-Biega Park

Cassiterite bags ready to be shipped to Bukavu and Goma (© Isidore Kikukama Mupenda, WWF)

The Kasese region contains the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP), the Maïko National Park and various forests that are not gazetted as protected areas…

[details]

Readaptation of an Injured Juvenile

Petit Ngoû before the injury (15 August 2008) (© Chieko Ando)

Since 2003, we have been trying to habituate western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) for the purpose of scientific research in Moukalaba-Doudou…

[details]

EAZA Ape Campaign

In 2011, European zoos will conduct a campaign for the conservation of apes. The campaign will have two targets: collecting 1 million euros for…

[details]

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…

[details]

Changing Ecological Conditions

[Translate to EN:] Cyril Grüter auf dem Gipfel

The mountain gorillas of the Virunga Volcano Massif have been the subject of intense research and conservation efforts by the Karisoke Research Center…

[details]

Status of Maiko National Park

Transport of a monkey that was killed in the national park (© Paulin Wilondja-as-Ngobobo)

Maiko National Park (MNP) is part of a network of 7 national parks located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The MNP was created in 1970 by…

[details]

Response to Oil Prospecting in Gabon

A hole for the dynamite is prepared. (© Luisa Rabanal)

As the world's oil reserves continue to decline, interest from major petroleum companies in the largely unexploited reserves of African oil increases.…

[details]

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…

[details]

Impact of Sericostachys scandens

Sericostachys scandens in Nyungwe National Park, showing the recent die-off. Left: 20 January 2010, right: 27 October 2010 (© Paul Scholte)

In November, 2004, WCS and ICCN teams surveyed the highland sector of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park where they found at least 168 gorillas. The…

[details]

Annelies Begas: Limbe 2010

[Translate to EN:] Limbe, Kamerun (© Annelies Begas)

In March/April 2008 I visited the mountain gorillas in Uganda (Bwindi Impenetrable National Park) and Rwanda (Volcanoes National Park). In Kibale…

[details]

Monitoring Gorillas in Nigeria

Comparison of encounter rate of human sign (per km) in Boshi Extension, Mbe Mountains and Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary (© Inaoyom Imong)

From March to August 2009, surveys were conducted to evaluate the status of gorillas and other diurnal primates and their habitat at four gorilla…

[details]

Snares in the Mikeno Sector

Rangers of the Virunga National Park with snares (© www.gorilla.cd)

Mount Visoke lies at the heart of mountain gorilla habitat - and so naturally the rangers of the Virunga National Park often venture onto the flanks…

[details]

Human Impact on Gorilla Behaviour

Leanne Van der Weyde viewing the gorillas (© Michelle Klailova)

Western lowland gorilla tourism exists on a considerably smaller scale than that of the high profile mountain gorillas. Yet the successful habituation…

[details]

Employee Health in Kahuzi-Biega

A ranger has his EHP health check (© MGVP)

Historically, the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project (MGVP), in collaboration with host country national wildlife, natural resource and/or tourism…

[details]

Bai Hokou

Shelly Masi with Makumba (© Ngombo Diedone)

The south-western region of the Central African Republic includes one of the most pristine tropical forests in the whole of Africa. Located in the…

[details]

Gorilla Census in the Virungas 2010

Augustin Basabose with an assistant during the census (© Augustin Basabose)

Recently, I spent 10 days in the field as part of a team counting mountain gorillas during a 2-month census which took place from 1st March to 25th…

[details]

Tribute to Ymke Warren

Ymke Warren during her observation of the mountain gorillas in Rwanda

We are grateful for this opportunity to shed a little light on an exceptional life that was dedicated to the study and conservation of Africa's…

[details]

GRACE Center

Ndjingala, who now lives in the GRACE Center (© PASA/DFGFI/Disney/MGVP)

The rumors began in early February 2010: Somewhere in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, an infant gorilla was being offered for sale. Some…

[details]

Tree Nursery on Mt. Tshiaberimu

During germination, the seedlings are protected from the sun (© Jean de Dieu Vhosi)

Mount Tshiaberimu is a site that is critical both for conservation and for the development of local communities. It is located in one of the most…

[details]

Senkwekwe Centre

[Translate to EN:] Ndeze und Ndakasi im Senkwekwe-Zentrum

The two mountain gorilla orphans Ndeze and Ndakasi grew up in a house in Goma - a town full of dust and noise. These are certainly not suitable…

[details]

Gorillas of the Ebo Forest - Conservation

Map of the proposed Ebo National Park (© Angela Meder, adapted from a map by Bethan Morgan)

In November 2002 a population of gorillas was "discovered" in the Ebo forest of southwestern Cameroon, less than 100 km north of the Sanaga River…

[details]

Survey in Itombwe 2006

Itombwe Massif Conservation Landscape (© Angela Meder, Adapted from a map by WCS)

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has been undertaking biological inventories in the Itombwe Massif since 1995. This area holds the largest and…

[details]

Alternatives for Hunters

Hunters demonstrate with bee suit and veil during training on bee-keeping in Butatong (© Louis Nkonyu)

As part of our efforts to improve the protection of the critically endangered Cross River Gorilla in Nigeria, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) aims…

[details]

Bushmeat Investigation Trip

Logging concessions around the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park (© Angela Meder)

Republic of Congo: in March 2009 I made a tour of the various markets in Ouesso, and for the first time realized the real ubiquity of bushmeat in that…

[details]

Gorilla Guardians in Cameroon 2009

Peter Tipa, Moses Takia and hunter Prince Ebole with a gorilla nest (© WCS Takamanda-Mone Landscape Project, Cameroon)

Faced with the challenge of improving the monitoring of unprotected Cross River gorilla sites in Cameroon, the Gorilla Guardian community-based…

[details]

Obituary: Jordi Sabater Pí

(© col. Sabater)

The ethologist Jordi Sabater Pí, Professor Emeritus at the Universitat de Barcelona and one of the internationally best-known Spanish scientists, died…

[details]

Exclusion from Sarambwe

Map of the Sarambwe Reserve with places mentioned in the article (© Angela Meder, adapted from a map by WWF/PeVi)

Five protected areas within the <link internal-link>Virunga landscape are of great value, both from a conservation and tourism perspective. These areas are the Virunga…

[details]

Initiation of an Aid Project

Relaxing after the seven displays have been put up in Ruhija. Left: Martha Robbins, right: Andreas Klotz (© www.mondberge.com)

The project "Mountains of the Moon" was founded in the middle of 2008, with the aim of contributing to the protection of species through the…

[details]

Gorilla Tourism on Mikeno

Tourists with masks during their gorilla visit on Mikeno (© www.gorilla.cd)

Mountain gorilla tourism brings much needed revenue to the Virunga National Park for the conservation effort - but it also brings the threat of…

[details]

Western Gorilla Life History

Side profiles of gorillas of different life-history classes. The two photos in each row present a typical example of the life-history classes used in this study (from top: infang, juvenile, subadult, blackback, young silverback and adult female/adult silverback (© Thomas Breuer)

Gorillas are known among the great apes for their fast life history patterns. In <link internal-link>zoos it is common for female gorillas to give birth before reaching…

[details]

Death on Mt. Tshiaberimu

The silverback male Kanindo from the tiny gorilla population on Mt. Tshiaberimu died after falling down a ravine. He was thought to be in his late…

[details]

Mufanzala and Birindwa Groups

The gorilla statue with the Vice-Governor of South Kivu, Jean Claude Kibala (the 4th person from the left) (© Radar Nishuli/Parc National de Kahuzi-Biega)

After the death of the two silverbacks of these gorilla groups on March 26th and May 30th 2009, respectively, several friends of the gorillas of the…

[details]

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.

[details]

Mt. Tshiaberimu Project 2008

The silverback Nzanzu (© The Gorilla Organization)

2008 has been a very difficult year for The Gorilla Organization on Mt Tshiaberimu. In February 2008 the adult female Mughole of the Kipura group died…

[details]

Additional Support for Cameroon

Survey team getting ready to depart (© Aaron Nicholas, WCS TMLP)

When viewed on a clear day from a rocky mountain top high above the montane forest cloaked slopes of the Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary, the landscape in…

[details]

PALF

The confiscated gorilla (© Luc Mathot)

The aim of PALF (Projet d'Appui à l'Application de la Loi sur la Faune Sauvage) is the legal protection of endangered species of the Congo Republic by…

[details]

Moukalaba-Doudou

The silverback Papa Gentil in Group Gentil (Sept. 2007) (© Chieko Ando)

Since 1999, a long-term survey of gorillas and chimpanzees has been conducted by Kyoto University in Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon. The…

[details]

Bwindi: Genetic Population

Map of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with the locations of gorilla groups found during the census. Stars denote lone silverbacks whereas circles represent groups. The size of the circle corresponds to group size. Each group and lone silverback is labeled with a unique identifier tag. Groups and silverbacks that were double-counted during the census are shown in bold and connected by a line. (© reprinted with permission from Elsevier)

Accurate population size estimates are an essential part of every effective management plan for conserving endangered species. Censusing rare and…

[details]

Genetic Diversity: Cross River Gorillas

Distribution of the Cross River Gorilla (© Angela Meder, mit Informationen von Rich Bergl)

Conservation research on gorillas has, to date, mainly focused on demographic factors, human impacts, and the influence of disease. Genetic data have…

[details]

Bacterial Exchange

Members of the Rushegura group visiting a lodge in Buhoma (© Uwe Kribus)

The nature and frequency of human contact with wild primates is changing as a result of hunting, human encroachment on wildlife habitats, research,…

[details]

Mufanzala

Mufanzala's body as the rangers found it

On March 26th, 2009, the rangers and trackers of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP) made the tragic discovery of the corpse of the silverback…

[details]

Emergency Funding in Virunga

Mikeno rangers with snares they collected during a patrol in January 2009 (© IGCP)

From early 2007, security in mountain gorilla habitats has been highly volatile due to the long-lasting war in the eastern Democratic Republic of the…

[details]

Nigeria: Cross River Gorillas

The new camp in Mbe is constructed (© Andrew Dunn)

Improving Gorilla Protection in the Mbe MountainsCovering an area of about 80 km² the Mbe Mountains is one of three sites in Nigeria where gorillas…

[details]

History of Mountain Gorilla Research

Titus in 1974, 2 days old, in the arms of his mother Flossie (© Kelly Stewart)

Fifty years ago, in 1959, George Schaller left New York for Africa to begin a study of mountain gorillas that would have lasting impact. His year of…

[details]

Conservation in Sarambwe

This motorcycle was donated with funds of the Apenheul Primate Conservation Trust (© Claude Sikubwabo Kiyengo)

From its establishment in 1952 the Rutshuru Hunting Reserve included the Sarambwe hills until its recognition as the Sarambwe Special Reserve in 1998.…

[details]

Western Gorilla Tourism

Silverback activity budget by human group type (© Chloe Hodgkinson)

Following the widely perceived success of mountain gorilla tourism, there has been increasing interest in developing tourism based on the observation…

[details]

Another Way to Protect Biodiversity - Community Conservation

© André Byamungu

For a number of years the Congolese government has been campaigning in support of endangered animal and plant species, and has created a new…

[details]

The Power of Local Stories in Lebialem, Cameroon

© Denis Ndeloh

Cross River gorillas are found in isolated forest blocks including the Bechati-Fossimondi-Besali forest area in Lebialem Division, southwest Cameroon.…

[details]

Wildlife Crime in Cameroon and Operations' Impact

Abong Mbang, January 2008 (© LAGA)

Illegal trade in apes is an issue that has suffered from great confusion and lack of knowledge for a very long time. While endless popular bushmeat…

[details]

A New Gorilla Group in Kahuzi-Biega

The history of the "new gorilla group" in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park dates from 2004 when WCS conducted a survey of the area. During that year,…

[details]

Possible Goundou in Gorillas

Specimen A (© Colin Groves)

It is generally recognised that naturally occurring treponematosis is found in some African nonhuman primates. In addition, bone lesions of…

[details]

A GIS Habitat Map for the Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary, Cameroon

Kagwene monitoring (© Ymke Warren)

The Cross River gorilla is the most endangered of all great ape taxa, and its rare and increasingly fragmented populations continue to be threatened…

[details]

New Gorilla Population Estimates in Northern Republic of Congo

Petunia with her son Asta while visiting Mbeli Bai (© Thomas Breuer)

On 5 August, 2008, at the XXII International Primatological Society Congress in Edinburgh, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announced the…

[details]

Rapid Decline in the Largest Group of Mountain Gorillas

Interaction between the Pablo group and Beetsme’s group (© Veronica Vecellio, DFGFI)

Pablo's group is the largest habituated group of mountain gorillas in the Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda, or anywhere in the world. The group was…

[details]

Important Forest Corridor for Gorillas under Threat

The Afi River Forest Reserve survey team

The Afi River Forest Reserve is an area lying between two sites in Nigeria where the Cross River gorilla is known to occur - the Afi Mountain Wildlife…

[details]

A New Approach to Gorilla Conservation: "Gorilla Guardians"

Potential gorilla guardians (© Amelia Stott, WCS Takamanda-Mone Landscape Project)

A new community-based approach to the conservation of some of the most remote (and hence least protected) groups of Cross River gorillas is currently…

[details]

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.

[details]

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…

[details]

Digital Cameras

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

[details]

Club Ebobo

Club Ebobo

Gorilla populations throughout Western Equatorial Africa are rapidly declining. Illegal bushmeat hunting and the lack of law enforcement are seen as…

[details]

Kagwene-Gorillas

The WCS research camp and eco-guard post perched on the forest edge at 1,800 m above sea level. Cross River gorilla monitoring and protection activities are coordinated from this camp. (© WCS, Aaron Nicholas)

The government of Cameroon announced on the 3rd of April 2008 the creation of the world's first sanctuary exclusively for the Cross River gorilla, and…

[details]

Conservation in the Mbe Mountains, Nigeria

The Mbe eco-guards (© Andrew Dunn)

The Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) is Africa's most endangered taxon of ape, threatened by bushmeat hunting, conversion of forest for…

[details]

Conflict with the Nkuringo Group

The silverback Safari (© Michele Goldsmith)

The Nkuringo group ranges at the edge of the southeastern part of Bwindi. Its habituation started in 1996 and it was not completed until 1998; the…

[details]

First Observation of the Birth of a Western Gorilla in the Wild

Mowane riding on Malui’s back (© Kate Bracewell)

On the 4th December 2007, staff of the Dzanga-Sangha's Primate Habituation Programme (PHP) witnessed the birth of a new gorilla infant into the…

[details]

Advantages and Disadvantages of Ape Research and Tourism

The behaviour of free-ranging chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) has been studied in the Taï National Park in Côte d'Ivoire since 1979. Three communities…

[details]

The Liberation of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park Corridor

Encroachment of the corridor (© Angela Meder, adapted from a map by WWF/ICCN/BEGO)

The liberation of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP) corridor requires decisiveness and cooperation from the Congolese State, and also from the…

[details]

Educational Activities in the Republic of Congo

School visit (© PPG-Congo)

Following on from its success with gorilla reintroductions and protected area management, the PPG (Projet Protection des Gorilles)-Congo has recently…

[details]

Gorilla Deaths Spark Fears at Mount Tshiaberimu

On 10 May, 2008, Molo, one of just 20 rare gorillas living in the forests of Mount Tshiaberimu, in the northern annex of Virunga National Park,…

[details]

The Gorillas of the Ebo Forest, Cameroon

[Translate to Englisch:] Die Berge des Ebo-Walds bei Locndeng (© Bethan Morgan)

Cameroon is an important country for both gorillas and chimpanzees. To the south of the Sanaga River, western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla…

[details]

World's Rarest Gorilla Finds Sanctuary

The WCS research camp and eco-guard post perched on the forest edge at 1,800 m above sea level. Cross River gorilla monitoring and protection activities are coordinated from this camp. (© WCS, Aaron Nicholas)

The government of Cameroon announced on the 3rd of April 2008 the creation of the world's first sanctuary exclusively for the Cross River gorilla, and…

[details]

Binoculars for the rangers

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

[details]

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…

[details]

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…

[details]

News from Cross River National Park 2007

Severe Problems in Virunga National Park

Conservation of Gorillas in Mbeli Bai

History of the Rugendo Family

Activities of the IGCP on Mikeno

Inventory of Kahuzi-Biega 2006

Continuing Humanitarian Crisis

5 questions for gorilla conservation

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

[details]

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.

[details]

Rehabilitating Eastern Gorillas

Orphan Gorilla Reintroduction

Killing of Two Silverbacks

News from Kahuzi-Biega 2007

Rules and Reality of Gorilla Tracking

Genetic Analysis in the Cross River Gorilla

Gorilla Population in Bwindi Increases

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.

[details]

Presence of Great Apes in Bas-Congo

Cave Dwelling Gorillas

Community Conservation in Kahuzi-Biega

How Insectivorous Are Gorillas?

Western Gorilla Tourism

News from Nigeria 2006

Rain Jackets and Backpacks for the Rangers

Rangers received urgently needed equipment from us.

[details]

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

[details]

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.

[details]

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…

[details]

Ebola - from Bats to Gorillas

15 Years Bwindi-Impenetrable National Park

Construction of a New Patrol Post

HuGo in Uganda

The Silverback Mugaruka

Cross-Sanaga-Gorillas

Relationship of Humans and Gorillas

10 Years on Mt. Tshiaberimu

Printing of the Magazine "Le Gorille"

Computers and Printer

[Translate to EN:] Ein Computer für die Verwaltung von Kahuzi-Biega (© Carlos Schuler)

The office of the Kahuzi-Biega National Parks received two computers and a printer.

[details]

Activities of the Local NGO VONA

Conservation of Western Lowland Gorillas

Affinities of the Ebo Forest Gorillas

Conservation Law Enforcement Training

Gorillas in Maiko South

News from Kahuzi-Biega 2005

Respiratory Diseases in Mountain Gorillas

Habitat Protection for Cross River Gorillas

Printing of a Gorilla Book for Schools

[Translate to EN:] Das Buch "A day in gorillaland" im Unterricht

Waltraud Ndagijimana wrote the book "A day in gorillaland" for English lessons at schools near the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park; we funded the…

[details]

The Maiombe Forest in Cabinda

Sudden Great Ape Die-Off

Another Twin Birth in Kahuzi-Biega

POPOF’s Artisan Program

Update on Nigeria: WCS's Work

Reintroduced Gorillas

Where are the Gorillas?

Post-Conflict Inventory of Kahuzi-Biega

Impacts of Habituation for Ecotourism

Conservation of Gorillas and Chimpanzees in Itombwe

Wildlife Law Enforcement in Cameroon

Diseases Shared by Gorillas and Humans

Low Wall High Impact

Infanticides in Kahuzi-Biega

Gorilla mtDNA

Bushmeat and People’s Health

Bwindi Gorilla Diet

10 Years of Gorilla Tourism in Mgahinga

News from Kahuzi-Biega

The Problem with numts

The Gorillas of the Ebo Forest

Conservation Through Public Health

Virunga Gorilla Census 2003

20th Anniversary of the BRD

A meeting of the board of directors in 1984: Manfred Hartwig, Rolf Brunner and Paul-Hermann Bürgel.

In 1983, Paul-Hermann Bürgel, a great animal lover, spent his holidays on one of his world trips. This time he crossed Africa from north to south.…

[details]

The Gorilla in the Nyanga Tradition

Bushmeat Update

Protection Strategies for Cross River Gorillas

JGI in the Mengamé Reserve

The Disappearance of Mishebere

The Sarambwe Gorilla Special Reserve

AFECOGO and UGADEC

The Mikeno Gorillas 2002

Tri-National de la Sangha

Gorillas Frequenting the Mongambe Bais

The Man Who Discovered the Mountain Gorilla

Good News for the Cross River Gorillas?

Great Ape Trafficking Around Kahuzi-Biega National Park

Census in the Tayna Gorilla Reserve

An Initiative to Resolve Conflicts

Primates at the Edge of the Abyss

Zoos Fight the Bushmeat Problem

Children Fight for Gorilla Conservation

Training for Kahuzi Guides

Bushmeat Trade Around Cross River National Park

Conservation of Great Apes in Cameroon

The Role of the Cross River National Park

February 2001

[details]

Number of Virunga Gorillas Increased

Coltan Boom, Gorilla Bust

Orphan Gorilla Reintroduction

Gorillas of Takamanda, Mbulu and Mone

World Heritage Animals in Danger

Great Ape Hunting in Lobeke

Community Project for Conservation

Outbreak of Mange in Bwindi

Benefits and Costs of Mountain Gorilla Tourism

Habituation of Bwindi Gorillas

Tourism in Dzanga-Sangha

News from Kahuzi-Biega: Second Half of 2000

The Situation in Maiko 2000

What, if Anything, is Taxonomy?

Sarambwe Protection

Scabies in Bwindi

Training on Mt. Tshiaberimu

Situation in Kahuzi-Biega: First half of 2000

Conservation Activities in Rwanda

Western and Eastern Gorillas

Community Project for Conservation

Ape Tourism and Human Diseases

Will the Virunga National Park Survive?

Gorilla Slaughter in Kahuzi-Biega

Conservation of Resources in Kahuzi-Biega

The Mbeli Bai Gorillas

Gorilla Studies in Nouabalé-Ndoki

Cross River Gorilla Subspecies

Gorillas in the Odzala National Park

The New Gorilla Reserve at Mbuhi

Gorilla tourism in Central Africa

Gorillas in African Culture and Medicine

Gorillas in the Takamanda Reserve

Acute Danger for the Virunga Park

The Mikeno Gorillas 1998

Two Young Gorillas Killed in Jomba

News from Kahuzi-Biega 1998

Gorillas in Mgahinga National Park

Gorilla Killed in Nigeria

Situation in the Parc National des Volcans

Progress Report on Mt. Tshiaberimu

Max-Walter Baumgärtel Is Dead

Memories of Walter Baumgärtel

The Status of Grauer's Gorilla

Progress at the Kahuzi-Biega Park

A Report from Nigeria 1998

Gorilla Conservation in Río Muni

Is Gorilla Tourism Sustainable?

Reports from Mt. Tshiaberimu

New Gorilla Census in Bwindi 1997

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park 1997