Three Countries Unite to Conserve Mountain Gorillas

KAMPALA-The Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda this week launched a 10-year transboundary initiative to conserve the world's endangered mountain gorillas and their habitats. Only 720 mountain gorillas remain, and 380 of them dwell in the forested Virunga mountains, where the three countries intersect. The rest inhabit the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.

Through the initiative, the three countries will work together to strengthen and harmonize their conservation policies and laws. They will also seek to leverage their resources to reduce threats to the gorillas and the Central Albertine Rift area as a whole.

The announced plan is the culmination of years of collaboration between the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN), the Office Rwandais du Tourisme et des Parcs Nationaux (ORTPN) and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), supported by the International Gorilla Conservation Program (IGCP). IGCP -- a coalition of the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), Fauna and Flora International, and the Worldwide Fund for Nature -- will continue to provide the partners with technical and managerial support as the program unfolds.

"This initiative begins a new chapter in what has been a long and committed effort by all the agencies involved," says Eugene Rutagarama, Director of IGCP and Director of AWF's Virunga Heartland. "From here, strategic steps to coordinate and harmonize efforts among the three countries are sure to benefit both the mountain gorilla population and the communities that live alongside them."

The transboundary program will focus on improving wildlife and park security, reducing encroachment on forest habitats, sharing and leveraging regional resources, and ensuring that conservation-tourism revenues help to alleviate poverty. Funding for the first four years is being provided by the Dutch government facilitated by IGCP.

The announcement should further highlight the plight of the endangered great ape, which captured international headlines last year after 10 mountain gorillas were mysteriously killed and political violence forced many rangers to flee their posts. In the aftermath of the gorilla killings, AWF -- through its work with IGCP -- provided support to the local wildlife and parks authorities and helped provide assistance to rangers in the form of logistics, training, and interim salary support.