Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund

Saving Endangered Mountain Gorillas

Dr. Dian Fossey established the Karisoke Research Center in Rwanda's Virunga Mountains in 1967, which has become the hub for the longest-running studies of any animal species on Earth. Her vital gorilla work has inspired many conservationists who've followed since, ensuring her legacy lives on today.

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund's conservation work is built on the ethos: ‘when gorillas are protected, so are their forest habitats, which are critical ecosystems that support our planet and all life on Earth'. The Fund's holistic conservation efforts also have a direct, positive impact on people and communities, helping to improve the health and livelihoods of people who live near the gorillas. This holistic conservation model is based on four key pillars:

• Protecting gorillas – daily, sustained protection of wild mountain gorillas has helped bring these primates back from the brink of extinction.
• Conducting science – operating the longest-running gorilla research site in the world.
• Training conservationists – working directly with educational institutions in Rwanda and Congo to train hundreds of young scientists each year.
• Helping communities – running conservation education programs in local schools and communities, and operating initiatives that aim to meet the basic needs – food resources, access to health care and clean water – in local communities.

Go2Africa's Partnership with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund

Go2Africa, in partnership with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund (DFGF), provide travellers with a deeper and richer gorilla trekking safari by offering a choice of four immersive gorilla conservation experiences that also help to raise funds for the DFGF. From a private tour of the Ellen DeGeneres Campus (a state-of-the-art research and learning facility), to a gorilla trek with a DFGF researcher and a private gorilla conservation master class, these immersive experiences are designed to augment any gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda.

Travellers are requested to make donations to the DFGF when participating in these immersive experiences, which Go2Africa will match for two of the experiences. All funds are donated to the DFGF's local children's outreach program, which invites Rwandan school children to the Ellen DeGeneres Campus to learn about gorilla conservation and biodiversity.