Mountain gorillas of Virunga National Park

by David E. Shaw

High in the dense forests of remote volcanic landscapes in East Africa live some of our planet’s most celebrated, remarkable AND critically endangered creatures.

An estimated population of 1000 remaining mountain gorillas roam through a UNESCO world heritage conservation region that spans several thousand square miles across the countries of Rwanda, Uganda and Congo. These great apes are Earth’s largest primates and the closest relatives to humans with a very high level of genetic similarity.

I visited the region in June 2018 to observe these amazing animals, as well as golden monkeys and other places of interest in Rwanda. Below is a “video post card” I’ve created to share this experience, including valuable commentary by the Africa director of Gorilla Doctors, a veterinary service organization: http://www.gorilladoctors.org