Since November 2021, Virunga’s mountain gorilla monitoring programme has been limited by the activities of an armed militia vying for control over territory and the Park’s natural resources. As a result, the current health and safety of many of the mountain gorillas that reside in Virunga is unknown, while the threats on their habitat is concerning.

Virunga’s Rangers are working hard in incredibly challenging circumstances to maintain and expand monitoring efforts for the mountain gorilla population. As the security situation improves, significant resources will be required to locate all habituated mountain gorillas, set-up patrol posts, clear the habitat of snares and assess their health and wellbeing.