Background
In
the mists of the Virunga Volcanoes of central Africa
the last remaining mountain gorillas face extinction.
The rarest and largest of the great apes, they are
among our closest relatives yet one of the most endangered
mammals on earth.
They are threatened by poaching, loss of habitat,
disease and war. Mountain gorillas are an important
resource for the people of Rwanda, Congo and Uganda
across whose borders their tiny forest habitat stretches.
Political instability and war have caused many set-backs,
but as peace slowly returns, the economic potential
of mountain gorilla conservation has also re-emerged.
The
Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund continues the work started
by its founder thirty years ago protecting the mountain
gorillas. It also works to ensure the people of the
region genuinely benefit from their unique natural
heritage.
Dian
Fossey
In
the Virunga volcanoes of central Africa Dian Fossey
discovered the gentlest of the great apes. She lived
amongst the mountain gorillas for nearly 20 years
and shamelessly defended them from poachers.
In
Rwanda, she founded the Karisoke Research Centre (1967)
to provide the world's primary focus for mountain
gorilla conservation and research. Through the pages
of National Geographic magazine and countless television
appearances she focused world attention on the gorillas'
plight.
She
began raising money to pay for anti-poaching, and
in 1978 set up the first ranger patrols in Rwanda.
She was murdered by an unknown attacker in the early
hours of December 27, 1985, in her cabin at Karisoke.
Her friend Alan Root, the wildlife filmmaker who introduced
her to gorillas in 1967, recalled in Swara magazine:
An occupational therapist with lung problems, a great
fear of heights and no training in animal behaviour,
Dian was hardly tailor-made for the job of following
gorillas among the steep ravines of a 14,000-foot,
rain-shrouded volcano. With only a two-day crash course
on data collection from Jane Goodall to guide her,
Dian recorded everything she saw, and from the beginning
she saw clearly that gorillas were doomed unless something
was done about the uncontrolled encroachment and poaching
that was going on. Over the next 13 years Dian collected
a vast amount of data on mountain gorillas. Her work,
and that of the co-workers who joined her in the later
years, not only led to a greater understanding of
gorillas, but to a world-wide concern for their safety.
Saving
the Gorillas in the Mist -
the work of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund
With
more than 30 years experience to build on, the Dian
Fossey Gorilla Fund has determined an optimum annual
programme to ensure the long-term survival of mountain
gorillas. Its aim is to reinforce and encourage African
ownership, build local capacity, and empower grass-roots
initiative by applying successful conservation, research,
education and development techniques through existing
local networks.
Science
& Research
Since Dian Fossey began her study of gorillas in Rwanda
in 1967, scientific research has been central to mountain
gorilla protection and the basis of all conservation
planning. The Fund's on-going scientific and research
projects, coupled with an effective system for collection
and distribution of scientific data, allow conservationists
to make informed decisions and plan new projects effectively.
Applied
Conservation
Ranger patrols and law enforcement within the national
parks have always been the main deterrent to poaching
and the unsustainable use of forest resources. The
Fund provides training, equipment and material support
for national park rangers, wildlife veterinarians
and local conservation groups, which, along with an
effective regional communications network, continue
to reinforce the front-line of mountain gorilla protection.
Community-Based
Conservation
The survival of the endangered mountain gorillas is
above all dependent on their human neighbours. The
Fund's long-term programme of grass-roots projects
aimed at sustainable development, conservation education
and small-scale enterprise initiatives for the communities
living adjacent to and within the gorilla habitat
will help realise the full economic potential of mountain
gorilla conservation for the region and encourage
a strong conservation culture among the local people.
Public
Awareness
Through the pages of National Geographic magazine
and the release of Gorillas in the Mist, Dian Fossey
effectively ended the trade in mountain gorilla infants
and curios across the world. Our strong media relations
and hard-hitting campaigns continue to raise local,
national and global awareness of the plight of the
endangered mountain gorillas - especially in times
of war and political instability.
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