Rangers Real Heroes of Gorilla Conservation: NPR Interviews AWF's Craig Sholley

Only about 700 mountain gorillas are left in the world, most of which live in the Virunga mountain range spanning the borders of Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), AWF's Craig Sholley recently told NPR's Tony Cox.

The populations are stable and protected in Uganda and Rwanda. But across the border in the DRC, political fighting and continued violence make protecting the highly endangered primates risky work.

"We've probably lost 120-150 guards over the past 15 years in the DRC," said Sholley, who calls the park rangers the 'real heroes' of mountain gorilla conservation.

Sholley also described the work of the International Gorilla Conservation Program (IGCP), a consortium of three partners--the African Wildlife Foundation, Fauna & Flora International and the Worldwide Fund for Nature. "For the last 30 years we've been there providing infrastructure support; in some cases, we've been providing salaries. We've helped develop protocol that allows the park rangers in most cases to work in situations that are safe and secure," Sholley said.

The segment also touches on gorilla tourism--its economic benefits and the unique experience of observing these 'gentle giants' in their forested habitats.

To listen to the interview, click here or visit http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18310483

For more information contact:

John Butler

202-939-3333

jbutler@awf.org