Tayna Nature Reserve is one of the earliest and most important examples of community-led conservation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.…
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This year the Members' Meeting took place in Leipzig, where 69 members (a record!) gathered on Saturday, 9 May. Thanks to the coordination of Martha…
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The Itombwe Nature Reserve (INR), located in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is a sanctuary with exceptional biodiversity and a source…
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The APES Atlas was created in 2018 to centralize information on apes worldwide. It is an open-access plat-form that provides site-level information on…
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For the mountain gorillas of the Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2026 started in a very special way: on 3 January, twins were…
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Post-reproductive lifespan, the period of life after females stop reproducing, seems to be a paradox as it is unclear whether and under what…
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In many animal societies, individuals of one sex, and sometimes both, eventually leave their natal group to join another. In a smaller number of…
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The Itombwe Nature Reserve (INR), like all protected areas in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, faces countless management…
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In tropical Africa the bushmeat trade is still very common. Some species are also killed or captured for other reasons: for body parts which can be…
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Food resources in tropical forests often occur in dispersed and ephemeral patches. To navigate efficiently to such patches and hence to forage…
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The Virunga Massif, a chain of volcanoes in the heart of Africa, is home to one of two remaining populations of the endangered mountain gorilla. Six…
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The project partners are thrilled to share encouraging news from Mt. Tshiaberimu in Virunga National Park, where four female Grauer's gorillas -…
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Maiko National Park (PNM), covering an area of 10,300 km², is the third largest park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after Salonga National…
[details]Males have been long assumed to strictly overpower females in most mammals. Recent research questions this assumption suggesting that female-male…
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What is the role of indigenous people in conservation? Are they 'forest destroyers' or 'forest protectors'? Both narratives argue that the fate of…
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Local communities in the Usala conservation corridor were formally awarded land tenure of their traditionally owned forests by the Provincial…
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The social environment of an individual is strongly related to its fitness. In many social species, it has been shown that individual social traits,…
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For a long time, very few courses in environmental sciences, nature conservation and tourism have been offered in eastern Democratic Republic of the…
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Due to its size, Maiko National Park (MNP) located in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) gives the impression of being a small country. It is one…
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We are very grateful for everybody who made our website more attractive with wonderful gorilla pictures. At World Gorilla Day some photographers and…
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The Itombwe Nature Reserve is an IUCN Category VI Protected Area. It is 5732 km² in size, and one of Africa's most important sites for biodiversity,…
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In January 2025, the M23, a Congolese rebel group backed by Rwanda, took control of the city of Goma. It then went on to seize large portions of…
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For the first time, Grauer’s gorillas from a sanctuary were successfully reintroduced to the wild. The gorillas, who had been rescued from illegal…
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For group-living animals, staying together is vital for survival. If members cannot agree on when or where to move the group may split, putting…
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In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) lies the Congo Basin, the second largest rainforest in the world. The DRC is particularly rich in…
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(Reprinted with permission from Gorilla Doctors)
At Gorilla Doctors we are on call 24/7, ready to respond to a gorilla health emergency, rain or…
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Species conservation has a long history in Africa. Traditionally, many animal and plant species, and sometimes forest areas, were protected in…
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Poaching persists in the DRC's parks and nature reserves. Poaching is generally the work of renegade men in uniform. This illegal hunting threatens…
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The Grauer's gorilla is facing a major crisis. Several factors are threatening its habitat: agricultural and pastoral expansion, subsistence hunting,…
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Involving the population in conservation
Conservation and protection of biodiversity in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo are subject to…
The task of the managers of Maiko National Park is to protect the rainforest and its biological diversity and to preserve its importance in…
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I want to take a moment to update you on Gorilla Doctors' work across D. R. Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda regarding the mpox outbreak in the region and…
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Celebrating Two Years of Community Partnership
In the village of Kagheri, located 15 km from the GRACE (Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation…
Climate change, along with the rise in extreme events, is expected to become a growing threat to wildlife. However, compared to other animals, not…
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The strong relationship between adult males and adult females form the basis of gorilla social groups. Relationships among female gorillas are…
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Western lowland gorillas usually live in one-male groups, consisting of one dominant male (a silverback), several females and their offspring. For…
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Water provision for two schools
For many years the Wilhelma, the Zoological-Botanical Garden of Stuttgart, has collected mobile phones for recycling.…
On the 15th and 16th June 2024, 52 members and friends of the Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe gathered to celebrate our 40th anniversary at the…
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Since 2021, relations between the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN)/Itombwe Nature Reserve (INR) and the local population of the…
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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…
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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.…
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Are the Virunga Mountain Gorillas' closest relatives the Bwindi Mountain Gorillas?
Gorillas are subdivided into two species and four subspecies. In…
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On January 31, 2024 Gorilla Doctors welcomed guests from around the world to celebrate the official opening of their state-of-the-art diagnostics…
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Western lowland gorilla ranges are in general larger than those of mountain gorillas - this has been the general opinion among researchers for a long…
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On the morning of 19 February 2024, Dr. Lina Nturubika, a field veterinarian with Gorilla Doctors, hiked out from our Tshivanga field station at…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Africa's great ape sanctuaries have become inundated with new arrivals, rescued from the collateral damage of the bushmeat trade and targeted…
[details]Kahuzi-Biega National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the conflict-afflicted eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has…
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Mt. Tshiaberimu, a mountain range on which Grauer's gorillas are protected in the Virunga National Park, is surrounded by several villages. The main…
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Gorilla tourism has played a pivotal role in not only fostering the recovery of the endangered mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) but also…
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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…
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Protected areas aim to conserve wildlife - particularly large, charismatic species like gorillas - while benefiting local communities. But in tropical…
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The Kansere-Masakaru-Iyuma forests are located between the Usala Gorilla Reserve (RGU) and the Kisimba-Ikobo Primate Reserve (RPKI), in the vicinity…
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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…
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New research from the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund analyses more than 50 years of demographic data to examine factors influencing variability in the…
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In the remote Itombwe Nature Reserve in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), mining increasingly threatens nature conservation efforts.…
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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…
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Tropical rainforests are characterized by seasonal fluctuations in fruit availability with important inter-annual variations in tree productivity.…
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The Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) Center, located in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, is centered on…
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Gorillas live sympatrically with chimpanzees in most of their distribution area, but there are only a few sites where both species have been…
[details]Everywhere in Africa human influence on gorillas and their habitats has become common. Interventions are severe everywhere, not only by deforestation,…
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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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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…
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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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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…
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Nonhuman great apes (bonobos, chimpanzees, eastern gorillas, western gorillas and orangutans) are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases from…
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Although gorilla distribution and habitat use are fairly well known for many gorilla populations in Cameroon, very little is known concerning the Ebo…
[details]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…
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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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Uganda introduced gorilla tourism in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park In the early 1990s. At that time, the silverback Ruhondeza was the leader of…
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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]The natural forests in western North Kivu province and Maniema province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, are very rich in biodiversity of…
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For over a decade, there has been little hope for the survival of the Mount Tshiaberimu (or Tshiabirimu) gorillas. Several great ape experts…
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In April 2022, Greenpeace reported that the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo planned to auction off concessions for the extraction…
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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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In view of the threats observed and documented in different areas, particularly in the Bafwasende area, central sector of the Maiko National Park…
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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…
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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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In 2020, the management of Maiko National Park set up a system to dismantle the network of traffickers of baby chimpanzees, particularly in Bafwasende…
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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…
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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.…
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In 2012, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International started a unique collaboration with local communities in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo…
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We have already supported many projects, which have turned out to be very successful, for the people of Mt. Tshiaberimu. Other communities around the…
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In last December’s issue of the Gorilla Journal, the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) Center was thrilled to share our…
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"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…
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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]"Social system” is an umbrella term that encapsulates the social organisation (size and demographic composition of a social group), social structure…
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"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.…
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Respiratory illness outbreaks among wild mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park have declined since the start of COVID-19, according to a…
[details]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…
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In 2019, in Loango National Park, Gabon, we observed two lethal coalitionary attacks by chimpanzees on gorillas, with each attack lasting approximatly…
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Given a burgeoning human population and rapidly-growing global demand for natural resources, reconciling biodiversity conservation and human-related…
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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…
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Visiting mountain gorillas is popular, and many of the visitors proudly present proof of their gorilla trekking in social media. However, to obtain…
[details]The Simple Connection: Emerging Zoonotic Diseases and Human Health
'Bushmeat' is a term used to refer to wild meat in Africa, where forests are…
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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…
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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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A recent paper in the American Journal of Primatology by Andrew Plumptre and colleagues examined the largest survey dataset for Grauer's gorillas Gori…
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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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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…
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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…
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Another Attack on Rangers in the Virunga National Park On 10 January 2021, 6 rangers lost their lives in an attack by armed… |
We now provide regular financial support for patrolling by rangers and trackers in four protected areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since…
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Management of the Maiko National Park (MNP) has remained difficult due to the presence of armed groups in different sectors of the park. The…
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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…
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In 2020, many gorillas were born within the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park's gorilla population; an exceptional number of 6 gorillas within 7 weeks…
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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]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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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'…
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The number of mountain gorillas on the Virunga Volcanoes has increased continuously for four decades now, as was shown during the last censuses. The…
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Addy Barrett is a 13 years old girl gorilla enthusiast from Germantown, Maryland.
She organizes and runs different activities like lemonade stands,…
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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For many households around mountain gorilla parks, tourism has been their lifeline. That is until the COVID-19 pandemic affected the tourism industry…
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Zoonoses are infectious diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans. Among viruses alone, there are more than 1,000 human pathogens,…
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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?'…
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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…
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This year, the Norwegian Refugee Council placed Cameroon in the top spot for the world's forgotten crises. The conservation of the Cross River…
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We founded Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) in 2003 to prevent zoonotic diseases being transmitted between people and wildlife following…
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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]![[Translate to Englisch:]](/fileadmin/_processed_/6/f/csm_ruhija-porters-emergency_e260d46458.jpg "[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]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…
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Despite the efforts of conservation NGOs and research teams, the expansion of anthropogenic activities such as bushmeat hunting, logging, and…
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The silverback Rafiki was killed in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, presumably by poachers. Rafiki was a member of the mountain gorilla group…
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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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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…
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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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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…
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The Government of Cameroon has proposed two Forest Management Units (FMU) for timber exploitation which completely cover the proposed Ebo National…
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Equatorial Guinea's forests maintain some of the highest levels of biodiversity in Central Africa (Sunderland 2005). Despite its small size, the…
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The East African Albertine Rift is known for its extremely high biodiversity and endemism, the highest in continental Africa, and has been the subject…
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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…
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Camera trapping has become a predominant method for wildlife monitoring (Burton et al. 2015; Steenweg et al. 2017), including primates (Gerber et al.…
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Many gorilla friends have already asked themselves this question. So far, the answer is not yet known. However, since many other viruses are dangerous…
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Modern zoos are institutions that contribute towards conservation education through the conservation and research of living beings and their natural…
[details]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…
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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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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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Protecting forest corridors that allow movement and genetic exchange between Cross River gorilla subpopulations and groups is critical to their…
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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,…
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Fundraising for in situ conservation at the Zoological and Botanical Garden Wilhelma in Stuttgart
These days, most zoos make an enormous and steadily…
[details]Western gorillas live in social groups that consist of one silverback, several females and immature offspring. Females rely on the silverback who,…
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The past two years have proven challenging for the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) Center, the world's only sanctuary for…
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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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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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Great ape populations in Africa and Asia are severely threatened by the combined impacts of habitat loss, poaching, illegal trade, and disease. Since…
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A recent study unveils some of the enigmas associated with the social behaviour of the western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) from the…
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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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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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Regretfully, we must draw the attention of the conservation community to an observation made during our last environmental education mission on 29…
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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…
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Great ape conservation experts from the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently…
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Omari Ilambu was a much loved and highly respected conservationist who left us suddenly and unexpectedly in November. Omari worked for the Congolese…
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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…
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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…
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Finding food and mates is vital for all animals, so that they can grow, maintain metabolic functions, and reproduce. The way animals use their…
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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…
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Conservation approaches in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have evolved from fine and fences, top-down approaches to adaptive co-management…
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After investigation and verification on site, the management team of Itombwe Nature Reserve confirms with regret that the company Banro has not only…
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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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From 19-25 August 2018, the biannual conference of the International Primatological Society, organised by Johannes Refisch (GRASP), took place in the…
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The International Gorilla Conservation Programme has been operating for more than 25 years, and has provided financial and technical support for the…
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In November 2017, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) received a report of a lone male Cross River gorilla sighted near two Nigerian villages (Ofambe…
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In a paper published in the journal Science Advances, Samantha Strindberg, Fiona Maisels and 52 coauthors provide the most comprehensive assessment to…
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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…
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Dian Fossey's famous book Gorillas in the Mist (1983) contains several memorable episodes from her years of studying the mountain gorillas in the…
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As with many types of wildlife tourism, viewing gorillas has grown in popularity since the 1980s. Currently tourists can visit more than 20 gorilla…
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The Democratic Republic of the Congo teems with important natural and biological resources. As they are so important for growth, development, the…
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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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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…
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When powerful silverbacks jostle for dominance within a group, they can sustain very serious injuries with their long canine teeth. Over the last 30…
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Cameroon is home to many primate species of high conservation value, including drills, Preuss's red colobus, and gorillas (Morgan et al. 2011). Both…
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Restricted to the rainforest region along the border between Nigeria and Cameroon, the Cross River gorilla Gorilla gorilla diehli is Africa's most…
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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…
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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…
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"One Health" is an approach that addresses human, animal and ecosystem health together. We founded Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) in 2003…
[details]It is 50 years now that Dian Fossey established the Karisoke Research Center to study the little known mountain gorillas in the Volcanoes National…
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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]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…
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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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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…
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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…
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This is a quote regularly heard among communities around the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after…
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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,…
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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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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…
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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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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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Periodic censuses of threatened wildlife populations of high profile species help us to understand their population dynamics, assess the success of…
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In the Sarambwe Reserve, conservation and sensitization activities have been carried out mainly by the trackers and the troops based in Sarambwe (a…
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The meeting of Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe in Krefeld Zoo was a resounding success, both for the Board, who got to know new members and…
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The Itombwe Nature Reserve is a key site for biodiversity in Africa. Although Grauer’s gorilla numbers have declined drastically, there is still…
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During the IUCN World Conservation Congress in September 2016, updates in the Red List of Threatened Species were made public. Not surprising was that…
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It is widely acknowledged that the long-term conservation of African primates depends largely on Africans themselves, and this requires that Africans…
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The International Ranger Federation (IRF) is an international non-profit organisation that supports ranger groups worldwide who have chosen a…
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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…
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At the end of January 2016 the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas complex in the Central African Republic recorded the first ever western lowland gorilla…
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The conservation action plan for western lowland gorillas and central chimpanzees identifies 18 priority landscapes (IUCN 2014). One of them is the…
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Two components of gorilla conservation are research and tourism. Research provides the baseline information concerning the natural ecological and…
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After 16 years of continuous rule under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and record levels of corruption and mismanagement, Nigeria elected a new…
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The Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) Center is the world's only sanctuary for Grauer's gorillas orphaned by poaching and the…
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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…
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Over several decades, humans cohabited with the organisms in their environment more or less harmoniously. But recently, the use of modern tools in…
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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,…
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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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African tropical rainforests, the second most important biodiversity refuge after the Amazonian basin, host a multitude of plant species. The majority…
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Scientifically, there are four subspecies of gorillas: Gorilla beringei beringei, Gorilla beringei graueri, Gorilla gorilla gorilla and Gorilla…
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In a previous article, we documented bushmeat trafficking out of West/Central Africa for sale in underground markets in Europe and North America.…
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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…
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Though restoring forest is not a substitute to preserve intact forest, for sites where large parts of the forest have already been cleared, restoring…
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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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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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The Bwindi Apes Conservation Education Partnership (BACEP) is a collaborative project of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology…
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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…
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Grauer's gorillas are a subspecies of eastern gorillas and live in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo - an area where fighting between various…
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San Diego Zoo Global conservationists working with video traps have confirmed the presence of a small troop of western gorillas in Ebo Forest.…
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Tropical deforestation is well known to have serious negative consequences for biodiversity, terrestrial carbon sinks and the balance of atmospheric…
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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…
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The Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) is new and improved software for measuring, evaluating and improving the effectiveness of wildlife…
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All animals - including humans - must eat to survive. The energy derived from food is necessary to sustain basic metabolic and muscle functions,…
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This article documents activities implemented in the Sarambwe Reserve and the almost continuous threats to the conservation of the reserve. It is…
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Itombwe Nature Reserve (INR) is a key site for biodiversity in Africa in general and the region of the Albertine Rift in particular (Doumenge &…
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Rare Footage of Cross River Gorillas Captured by the Wildlife Conservation Society
The Wildlife Conservation Society set up camera traps in the…
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Most of the world’s gorillas and about one-third of all chimpanzees live in Western Equatorial Africa: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial…
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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…
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The Ebo forest in Littoral Region, Cameroon harbours a rich biodiversity of primates, including gorillas and chimpanzees. The government of Cameroon…
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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…
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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]![[Translate to EN:] Junge Passionsfruchtpflanzen werden in der Baumschule in Vurusi in Säcke eingesetzt. (© Claude Kyungu)](/fileadmin/news/berggorilla-regenwald-direkthilfe-baumschule-in-vurusi.jpg "[Translate to EN:] Junge Passionsfruchtpflanzen werden in der Baumschule in Vurusi in Säcke eingesetzt. (© Claude Kyungu)")
In previous articles we have documented the invaluable support Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe has provided over the years to gorilla and habitat…
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Located in the Kasugho region of North Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), near the Tayna Nature Reserve, the Gorilla Rehabilitation…
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The effective protection of a gorilla population requires a solid knowledge of the demography, ecology and behaviour of their social groups. The…
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Accurate population assessments of endangered species are of great importance for determining conservation priorities and measuring the success of…
[details]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…
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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]![[Translate to Englisch:] Verteilung von Maracuja-Setzlingen](/fileadmin/news/Das_setzen_von_Maracuja-Setzlingen_Dezember_2004_02.jpg "[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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The Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas (DSPA), located in the southwestern Central African Republic (CAR) and the northern edge of the Congo basin, is…
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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…
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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…
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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.…
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Mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, live in one of the poorest regions of Africa. This creates a major challenge for…
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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]![[Translate to EN:] Mutter und Kind in der Kyagurilo-Gruppe](/fileadmin/news/Mutter_und_Kind_in_der_Kyagurilo-Gruppe.jpg "[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]![[Translate to EN:] Vorführung eines GAEP-Films (© Michelle A. Slavin/NC Zoo UNITE)](/fileadmin/news/Vorfuehrung_eines_GAEP-Films.jpg "[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…
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The Sarambwe Reserve is located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, adjacent to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Since the arrival of…
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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…
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Gorilla tourism and conservation cannot be sustained if it is not supported by fringe communities around the parks. Gorilla ecotourism areas are…
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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…
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The <link 244 _blank internal-link "MBe Mountains">Mbe Mountains</link> form part of an important habitat corridor linking Afi Mountain Wildlife…
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Illegal meats for human consumption are smuggled daily into airports worldwide and some of this meat originates from wild species, including primates.…
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April 2014: Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe invited its members to Basel for the general members' meeting, which took place in the "Zolli"…
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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]![[Translate to EN:] Scheckübergabe bei ajoofa in Ulm (© ajoofa)](/fileadmin/news/scheckuebergabe.jpg "[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]![[Translate to Englisch:] Colo](/fileadmin/news/Colo.jpg "[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]![[Translate to Englisch:] Claude Sikubwabo mit Sarambwe-Wildhütern](/fileadmin/news/Claude_Sikubwabo_mit_Sarambwe-Wildhuetern_vor_dem_Ausbruch_des_M23-Krieges.jpg "[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…
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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…
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Hunting often devastates populations of large mammals, and this may have impact on other animal and plant communities. In two recent studies (Effiom…
[details]![[Translate to Englisch:] Einer der Landrutsche](/fileadmin/news/Einer_der_Landrutsche.jpg "[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…
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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]![[Translate to Englisch:] Schüler der Rushubi-Schule in Musanze, Ruanda, singen ein Friedenslied](/fileadmin/news/Schueler_der_Rushubi-Schule_in_Musanze__Ruanda__singen_ein_Friedenslied.jpg "[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…
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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]![[Translate to Englisch:] Mayombe: der Wald hinten liegt in Cabinda; vorn Niari, Republik Kongo](/fileadmin/user_upload/regenwald-abholzung.jpg "[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…
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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…
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In 2000, WCS Senior Conservationist, and National Geographic explorer, Mike Fay set off on his now famous MegaTransect through the forests of Central…
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Designated in 1988 under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program, Dimonika Biosphere Reserve is located in the central Mayombe Mountain chain in the…
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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…
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The conservation of our gorillas can only be safeguarded through good governance, involving all stakeholders among the local communities resident in…
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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…
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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…
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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]![[Translate to EN:] Das marode Headquarter (© WCS Nigeria)](/fileadmin/news/headquarter.jpg "[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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In recent years, the trafficking of Africa's apes has evolved into a highly organized criminal activity, but the situation has remained largely…
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Some of the largest tracts of forest habitat in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo are located in the Walikale and Lubutu territories.…
![[Translate to EN:] Das Biruwe-Team (©DFGFI)](/fileadmin/news/Das_Biruwe-Team___c_DFGFI_.jpg "[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]![[Translate to EN:] Isangi mit ihrem Pfleger](/fileadmin/news/Isangi_mit_ihrem_Pfleger___c__Molly_Feltner-gorilla_doctors_.jpg "[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…
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The Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) is Critically Endangered, with perhaps fewer than 250 individuals remaining within their range, which…
The Bambidie Gorilla Project (BGP), founded in 2008, aims to preserve a population of western lowland gorillas, between the villages of…
Equatorial Guinea is experiencing a dramatic oil-fuelled economic boom which over the last decade has increased incomes, encouraged urban migration…
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The Primate Habituation Programme (PHP) in the Central African Republic is an integral part of the conservation activities of Dzanga-Sangha Protected…
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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…
A census of the gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park conducted in 2011 confirms a minimum population of 400 gorillas, raising the world…
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]![[Translate to Englisch:] Westlicher Gorilla im Zoo und Berggorilla in Bwindi](/fileadmin/news/Westlicher_Gorilla_im_Zoo_und_Berggorilla_in_Bwindi.jpg "[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…
An isolated population of gorillas lives in the Ebo forest, Cameroon, between the Cross River gorillas and the western lowland gorillas south of the…
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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…
As part of the monitoring activities taking place In Maiko National Park during the festive period, between Christmas 2011 and the New Year, extensive…
The Burhinyi Community Forest, located in the South Kivu province of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is one of several patches of…
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Human–wildlife conflict is a major conservation and management issue wherever people and wildlife coexist. It can take many forms, including the…
The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is listed as Critically Endangered (C1) by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature…
![[Translate to EN:] Zoo-Gorilla Pertinax (© Angela Meder)](/fileadmin/news/pertinax.jpg "[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]![[Translate to EN:] Schüler in der Baumschule (© Augustin Rwimo)](/fileadmin/user_upload/berggorilla-regenwald-direkthilfe-erfolge-baeume-pflanzen.jpg "[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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Recent studies show that the populations of African great apes are rapidly decreasing. To prevent this, conservationists always try to find out which…
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Can they Make a Contribution to Conservation?
Everything developed as a result of lessons learnt from two concurrent projects: the project for the…
[details]![[Translate to EN:] Gorilla bei Ruhija (© www.mondberge.com)](/fileadmin/news/Gorilla_bei_Ruhija.jpg "[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]Conservation in the Maiko National Park (MNP) remains difficult: the intensity of threats to the park has not decreased. It is an enormous challenge…
![[Translate to EN:] Illegale Mine im Park](/fileadmin/news/Illegale_Mine_im_Park.jpg "[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]![[Translate to EN:] Gorilla-Familien](/fileadmin/news/Aufenthaltsgebiete_der_Gorillagruppen.jpg "[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]![[Translate to EN:] Jan Ramer, rechts, bei der Untersuchung von Shamavu](/fileadmin/news/Jan_Ramer__rechts__bei_der_Untersuchung_von_Shamavu.jpg "[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…
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…
![[Translate to EN:] Aufführung bei der Kwita Izina](/fileadmin/news/Auffuehrung_bei_der_Kwita_Izina.jpg "[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…
![[Translate to EN:] Ein Gorilla-Silberrückenmann auf der Suche nach Früchten in Loango.](/fileadmin/news/Ein_Gorilla-Silberrueckenmann_auf_der_Suche_nach_Fruechten_in_Loango..jpg "[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]![[Translate to EN:] Die Teilnehmer des Gorillaschutz-Workshops](/fileadmin/news/Die_Teilnehmer_des_Gorillaschutz-Workshops.jpg "[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…
Mountain Gorilla Orphans
On November 23, 2010, 9-year-old female Maisha and 7-year-old male Kaboko moved from the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary…
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Over the last two decades genetic studies have greatly influenced our understanding of the complex evolutionary history of one of our closest living…
[details]![[Translate to EN:] Patrouille entlang der Grenze des Sarambwe-Reservats](/fileadmin/news/Patrouille_entlang_der_Grenze_des_Sarambwe-Reservats___c__Augustin_Rwimo_.jpg "[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…
The genetic relatedness of mountain gorillas and humans has led to concerns about interspecies transmission of infectious agents. Human-to-gorilla…
While the Maiko National Park still contains a high biodiversity, it is increasingly obvious that its conservation is still dependent on finding a…
Deng Deng - Previous Surveys
In 1998 an environmental impact survey of a proposed oil pipeline route from Chad to Cameroon was commissioned by the…
The critical situation of the elephants and the great apes, and their role in the regeneration of the tropical forest, are well documented and…
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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…
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Over the last 12 years, UK-charity The Aspinall Foundation has been running a unique western lowland gorilla rehabilitation and reintroduction project…
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A census team led by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) in Kahuzi-Biega National…
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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…
The Kasese region contains the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP), the Maïko National Park and various forests that are not gazetted as protected areas…
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Since 2003, we have been trying to habituate western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) for the purpose of scientific research in Moukalaba-Doudou…
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In 2011, European zoos will conduct a campaign for the conservation of apes. The campaign will have two targets: collecting 1 million euros for…
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Cross River gorillas face diverse threats resulting from high human population densities around the areas they inhabit. Efforts to save these gorillas…
![[Translate to EN:] Cyril Grüter auf dem Gipfel](/fileadmin/news/Cyril_Grueter_auf_dem_Gipfel___c__Cyril_Grueter_.jpg "[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…
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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…
As the world's oil reserves continue to decline, interest from major petroleum companies in the largely unexploited reserves of African oil increases.…
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Conservation of the Sarambwe Reserve has faced many difficulties for many years: security problems, invasions of foreign nationals, and a lack of…
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]![[Translate to EN:] Limbe, Kamerun (© Annelies Begas)](/fileadmin/news/anneliese-begas1.jpg "[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…
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From March to August 2009, surveys were conducted to evaluate the status of gorillas and other diurnal primates and their habitat at four gorilla…
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…
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Western lowland gorilla tourism exists on a considerably smaller scale than that of the high profile mountain gorillas. Yet the successful habituation…
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Historically, the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project (MGVP), in collaboration with host country national wildlife, natural resource and/or tourism…
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…
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…
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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…
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The rumors began in early February 2010: Somewhere in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, an infant gorilla was being offered for sale. Some…
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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…
![[Translate to EN:] Ndeze und Ndakasi im Senkwekwe-Zentrum](/fileadmin/news/Ndeze_und_Ndakasi_im_Senkwekwe-Zentrum.jpg "[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…
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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…
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The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has been undertaking biological inventories in the Itombwe Massif since 1995. This area holds the largest and…
As part of our efforts to improve the protection of the critically endangered Cross River Gorilla in Nigeria, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) aims…
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…
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Faced with the challenge of improving the monitoring of unprotected Cross River gorilla sites in Cameroon, the Gorilla Guardian community-based…
The ethologist Jordi Sabater Pí, Professor Emeritus at the Universitat de Barcelona and one of the internationally best-known Spanish scientists, died…
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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…
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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…
Mountain gorilla tourism brings much needed revenue to the Virunga National Park for the conservation effort - but it also brings the threat of…
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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…
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…
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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…
![[Translate to EN:] Unser Assistent Claude Sikubwabo übergibt Kompasse und GPS-Geräte an das ICCN (© Claude Sikubwabo)](/fileadmin/user_upload/Kompasse_und_GPS-Geraete.jpg "[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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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…
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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…
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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…
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Since 1999, a long-term survey of gorillas and chimpanzees has been conducted by Kyoto University in Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon. The…
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Accurate population size estimates are an essential part of every effective management plan for conserving endangered species. Censusing rare and…
Conservation research on gorillas has, to date, mainly focused on demographic factors, human impacts, and the influence of disease. Genetic data have…
The nature and frequency of human contact with wild primates is changing as a result of hunting, human encroachment on wildlife habitats, research,…
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…
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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…
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…
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…
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From its establishment in 1952 the Rutshuru Hunting Reserve included the Sarambwe hills until its recognition as the Sarambwe Special Reserve in 1998.…
Following the widely perceived success of mountain gorilla tourism, there has been increasing interest in developing tourism based on the observation…
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For a number of years the Congolese government has been campaigning in support of endangered animal and plant species, and has created a new…
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Cross River gorillas are found in isolated forest blocks including the Bechati-Fossimondi-Besali forest area in Lebialem Division, southwest Cameroon.…
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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]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,…
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It is generally recognised that naturally occurring treponematosis is found in some African nonhuman primates. In addition, bone lesions of…
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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]On 5 August, 2008, at the XXII International Primatological Society Congress in Edinburgh, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announced the…
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…
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…
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…
For their patrols in the Sarambwe Reserve during one year the rangers were provided with food rations.
[details]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]We donated two digital cameras to the rangers of the Mikeno Sector (Virunga National Park) for gorilla monitoring.
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Gorilla populations throughout Western Equatorial Africa are rapidly declining. Illegal bushmeat hunting and the lack of law enforcement are seen as…
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…
The Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) is Africa's most endangered taxon of ape, threatened by bushmeat hunting, conversion of forest for…
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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…
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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…
The behaviour of free-ranging chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) has been studied in the Taï National Park in Côte d'Ivoire since 1979. Three communities…
The liberation of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP) corridor requires decisiveness and cooperation from the Congolese State, and also from the…
Following on from its success with gorilla reintroductions and protected area management, the PPG (Projet Protection des Gorilles)-Congo has recently…
[details]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]![[Translate to Englisch:] Die Berge des Ebo-Walds bei Locndeng (© Bethan Morgan)](/fileadmin/news/Die_Berge_des_Ebo-Walds_bei_Locndeng___c__Bethan_Morgan_.jpg "[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…
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]For their work in the Sarambwe Reserve the rangers received two high-quality binoculars.
[details]![[Translate to EN:] Einheimische Träger bringen die Ausrüstung für die Bestandsaufnahme in den Wald (© Pius Nkumba, WCS TMLP)](/fileadmin/news/bestandsaufnahme-traeger.jpg "[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…
![[Translate to Englisch:] Wildhüter des Kahuzi-Biega-Nationalparks mit neuen Pullovern (© Carlos Schuler)](/fileadmin/news/pullover-sweater.jpg "[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]![[Translate to EN:] Uniformen für den Virunga-Nationalpark und das Sarambwe-Reservat (© Claude Sikubwabo)](/fileadmin/news/uniform-virunga.jpg "[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]![[Translate to EN:] Wildhüter in Ruanda mit ihren neuen Wachsjacken](/fileadmin/news/regenjacken.jpg "[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]Rangers received urgently needed equipment from us.
[details]![[Translate to EN:] Das Basiscamp in den Mbe-Bergen (© Andrew Dunn)](/fileadmin/news/Das_Basiscamp_in_den_Mbe-Bergen___c__Andrew_Dunn_.jpg "[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
![[Translate to EN:] Der Rangerposten Bumaji (© Andrew Dunn)](/fileadmin/user_upload/Cross_River_Nigeria.jpg "[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]![[Translate to EN:] Der Mwami (traditionelle Chef) vor dem Haus, in dem sich die Gemeinde versammelt (© Carlos Schuler)](/fileadmin/news/mwami.jpg "[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]![[Translate to EN:] Ein Computer für die Verwaltung von Kahuzi-Biega (© Carlos Schuler)](/fileadmin/user_upload/berggorilla-regenwald-direkthilfe-downloads-kahuzi-biega.jpg "[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]![[Translate to EN:] Das Buch "A day in gorillaland" im Unterricht](/fileadmin/user_upload/Mgahinga-Gorilla-Nationalpark__Uganda.jpg "[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…
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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.…
February 2001
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