The United States Fish and Wildlife Service head of Great Apes Conservation program Mr. Dirck Byler was in the Virunga national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo to meet with the park officials. Mr. Dirck has given a lot  to the conservation of Virunga national park and has a good appreciation of the issues involved in Conserving this park which is one of the last remaining habitats of the mountain gorillas.

Some of Mr. Dirck’s projects with regard to conserving Virunga national park include the briquette making presses which are used as an alternative to the charcoal used as cooking fuel. There is a huge deforestation of the Virunga forests with the cutting of trees to provide wood for the making of charcoal whose proceeds mainly go to fund rebel activities in the region. The project was also funded by other donors such as Daey Ouwens Fund.  The United States Fish and Wildlife Service was able to fund the brigquette presses construction, truck, as well as the hammer mills used make the biomass as well as the low fuel consuming three wheel  vehicles thus reducing the projects carbon footprint as well as making the project more efficient.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service have helped in the funding and support of the ranger emergencies. The USFWS has purchased a plane for the quick transportation rangers as well as the bloodhounds that are used to track poachers in the Virungas. It is hard to imagine that there was no plane initially. The Virungas is about 8,000 Sq. kilometers and it is hard to imagine how the rangers were able to patrol the region and move quickly in the national park in case of emergency. With the plane it is now easy to make quick evacuation of inquired rangers to the various regional hospitals in emergencies.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is also supporting the widows of the rangers who have been killed in action. The Widows Fund is currently being supported mainly by the USFWS. During Mr. Dirck’s visit, he visited the widows of the fallen rangers to see the full extent of their suffering. The rangers are faced with constant threat from the poachers and the Rwanda rebels who have sought refuge in the Virungas.

It is important to know that there are people half a world away who are willing to support and encourage the prosperity of the Virungas.

There are about 200 mountain gorillas in Virunga which accounts for ¼ of the number of mountain gorillas left in the wild in the World. It is important for everyone to join hands and help save this beautiful habitat which has a great collection of beautiful and endemic creatures.

Mountain gorilla safari packages are organized by many local and international tour operators to the Virungas. Gorilla trekking in Virunga is one way that the people of this World can be enlightened about the plight of these gentle giants.

In Uganda and Rwanda mountain gorilla tour packages are organized by the local and International tour operators and the demand for the gorilla permits is so high that in the peak seasons of July and August it is very hard to secure a gorilla permit.

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