Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund - Wildlife Ranger Challenge 2022
Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund is taking part in the Wildlife Ranger Challenge to raise awareness of the role of 100 rangers working to protect Democratic Republic of the Congo's Nkuba Conservation Area ecosystem, and support an estimated 2500 livelihoods.
My story
Rangers are Africa’s unsung heroes. They don’t just fight poaching - they are conservationists, teachers, community support workers, leaders and much more.
The Wildlife Ranger Challenge, organised by Tusk and culminating on 17th September, celebrates their many roles, and is raising much-needed funds to support their work.
Found only in eastern DRC, Grauer’s gorilla population has declined 60% in the last 20 years, primarily as a result of poaching. In 2012, the Fossey Fund began work with local communities to establish conservation forests. We work with landowners who commit to conserving their forest, which is also home to seven globally threatened large mammals. In exchange, we offer employment opportunities to protect and study the gorillas as well as investing in their communities.
The Nkuba Conservation Area now encompasses 2,379 km2 of primary forest and an estimated 200-300 Grauer’s gorillas. Our trackers conducted 185 two-week patrols in 2021 and carried out three primary responsibilities: monitoring the wellbeing of 5 gorilla families, collecting data, surveillance and delimitation patrols, and wildlife inventory and biodiversity research.
WRC support has been vital as we expanded our protection and surveillance presence in the forest. We must continue to increase our presence in 2022, with our recent land expansion of 50%. Nkuba currently has just under 3 trackers per 100 km2. Despite this, conservation is working because of the intensive engagement of the local communities who know that Nkuba belongs to them as opposed to being excluded from it.
Give today, and the Scheinberg Relief Fund will match every dollar donated, amplifying your impact. Follow campaign updates on social media with #ForWildlifeRangers
Nkuba Conservation Area - Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund
Jul 13, 2022, 10:41:22 PMFounded by Dian Fossey in 1967, the Fossey Fund is the largest organisation dedicated to the conservation of gorillas, with more than 100 field team members (along with more than 879 day-labourers who support our protection operations). In Rwanda, we support the conservation priorities of the Rwandan government to protect and study mountain gorillas and their habitat and to assist the local communities. focusing on populations outside of protected areas. In both countries, we strive to improve the human communities near the gorilla habitat through food security, education and livelihood initiatives and to build the next generation of African conservationists. Image Credit: Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund
