Established in 1978 by Dian Fossey herself, we were orginially name the Digit Fund. If you saw the movie, “Gorillas in the Mist”, you know that Digit was a silverback mountain gorilla that Fossey became especially fond of and who was brutally killed by poachers so that they could take Digit’s hands. The Fossey Fund was given its current name in 1992 to honor its commitment to carry on the gorilla protection and research programs established by Dr. Fossey after she founded the Karisoke™ Research Center in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park in 1967.
The Fossey Fund currently provides direct protection for two endangered gorilla species in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda and Congo. Our patrols in Rwanda protect one-third of the mountain gorilla population, covering 26,000 square miles. We have also established health and education projects to create a healthy environment for both people and gorillas and empower Africans to become leaders in conserving their own natural resources. These programs include: hygiene education, clean water access, rural health clinics and support for local schools at all levels.
The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International is the ONLY organization that works on the ground 24 hours 365 days a year to protect the mountain gorillas of Rwanda’s Virunga mountains. DFGF is also working to help save the Grauer’s (eastern lowland) gorillas in the nearby Democratic Republic of Congo.
Because of the work of the Fossey Fund the mountain gorillas are the only ape population that has seen an increase in its numbers. Completion of two Virunga mountain gorilla censuses in partnership with local conservation personnel, found a 26.3 percent increase in the gorilla population from 2003 to 2010. The increase was greatest in areas monitored by Karisoke.
The Fossey Fund’s entire budget is devoted to gorillas-Unlike any other organization in the world, one hundred percent of the organization’s budget is devoted to gorilla research and protection effots.
The Fossey Fund is the only nongovernmental organization to provide 7 days-a-week gorilla monitoring and anti-poaching patrols.
To become a member and join Gorilla Fund in their efforts to protect these incredible creatures CLICK HERE…
To learn more about their incredible work click on the logo below
LINK = http://gorillafund.org/page.aspx?pid=290&utm_source=bushwarriors&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=bushtwo
