The Gorilla Organization was founded in the early 1990s to support the anti-poaching patrols created by the pioneering primatologist Dr. Dian Fossey. Building on Dr. Fossey’s legacy, it looked into the reasons why poaching was so prevalent in Africa’s national parks. The findings of its research came to form the foundations of its innovative community-led approach to conservation.
As well as supporting ranger patrols, its projects include organic farming, tree planting and gorilla-friendly beekeeping. All of these give impoverished communities the opportunity to earn a sustainable income without having to rely on the natural resources found in the gorillas’ forest home. At the same time, conservation education projects such as radio programmes, children’s wildlife clubs and portable pedal-powered cinemas allow it to spread the message of gorilla conservation to communities across Central and East Africa.
