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In the Virunga Heartland, volcanic highland mountains shelter the last 700 mountain gorillas in the world. Chimpanzees, golden monkeys, forest elephants, and a rich variety of birds, reptiles and amphibians share this ecosystem of incredible biodiversity. In the face of the intense poverty, overpopulation, and political unrest this region has seen, AWF and its partners have redoubled their efforts to support the local wildlife and the ecotourism the region so badly needs.

Conserving Wildlife

Securing the future of mountain gorillas and their forest home.

AWF solutions in Virunga:

Protecting Land

Uniting governments to promote conservation across international borders.

AWF solutions in Virunga:

Empowering People

Empowering local wildlife managers and supporting ecotourism ventures.

AWF solutions in Virunga:

Engaging You!

You can join us to save the last mountain gorillas. Click on these Solutions to become involved!

AWF solutions in Virunga:

Oct 15, 2009 | SI Swimsuit Cover Model Veronica Varekova Teams Up w...

Jul 28, 2009 | All Known Gorillas Reported Safe After Rwanda, Ugand...

Jul 21, 2009 | Mountain Gorillas Believed Safe as Forest Fire Spreads

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Because the Heartlands cover truly vast tracts of public and private land, cooperation by many public and private parties is required for success. Here are some of AWF's partners in the Virunga Heartland:

Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe
Conservation Through Public Health
Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International (DFGFI)
Frankfurt Zoological Society
Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN)

Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation (ITFC)
Local Governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda
Mgahinga Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Conservation Trust
Office Rwandais to Tourisme et des Parcs Nationaux (ORTPN)
USAID / CARPE (Congo Basin Forest Partnership)

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Philip Muruthi. African Heartlands: A Science-Based and Pragmatic Approach to Landscape Level Conservation in Africa. Technical Papers, 2005.

J.J.R. Grimsdell. Ecological Monitoring. Technical Papers, 1978.

Richard Hatfield. Economic Value of the Bwindi and Virunga Gorilla Mountain Forests. Technical Papers, 2005.

Philip Muruthi. Human Wildlife Conflict: Lessons Learned From AWF's African Heartlands. Technical Papers, 2005.

David Western and J.R.R. Grimsdell. Measuring the Distribution of Animals in Relation to the Environment. Technical Papers, 1979.

Philip Muruthi. The Process of Preparing a General Management Plan for a Protected Area. Technical Papers, 2006.

Ways to Save Mountain Gorillas

"Ways to Save Mountain Gorillas"
Watch a short video overview of AWF and the International Gorilla Conservation Program's (IGCP) work to save endangered mountain gorillas.

Empowering People

View AWF's slide show on Empowering People

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Quick Facts

Area: 577,634 hectares (2,230 square miles)

Key landmarks: Volcanoes National Park; Bwindi Impenetrable Forest; Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Maps: this region | Africa

Staff in this Heartland

Eugène Rutagarama
Director, International Gorilla Conservation Program
Rwanda

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Virunga Wildlife

Mountain Gorilla

The world's remaining mountain gorillas live within four national parks, split in two regions that are 45 kilometers (28 miles) apart.

One population of mountain gorillas inhabits the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. A census in 2003 recorded 340 gorillas here.

The second population of mountain gorillas is found in a mountainous region referred to as the Virungas, which includes Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (Uganda), Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda) and Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic of Congo). Approximately 380 gorillas are found in the Virungas.

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