Conservation Experiences

Travel That Matters

Conservation Tourism in East Africa

Every safari you take with GorillaWise is a conservation act. But beyond the standard experience, East Africa offers some of the world's most powerful opportunities to directly engage with and support wildlife conservation — from gorilla tracking with researchers to rhino monitoring on the Akagera plains.

    Conservation tourism is the single most powerful economic argument for keeping wildlife alive. Without it, the land would be converted to agriculture. Your presence here — and the revenue it generates — is what protects these habitats.
  

Mountain Gorilla Conservation

🦍 Protecting the Mountain Gorilla

The mountain gorilla is conservation's greatest success story. In 1981, fewer than 250 individuals remained. Today, the population exceeds 1,100 — the only great ape whose numbers are increasing. Tourism revenue made this possible.

🏛️ Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund

Founded by Dr Dian Fossey — the world's foremost gorilla researcher
Now based at the Ellen DeGeneres Campus, Volcanoes NP, Rwanda
Monitors every gorilla in the Virunga Mountains daily
Provides veterinary care to sick and injured gorillas
Visitor centre and guided campus tours available
One of Rwanda's most moving conservation experiences

🐾 Gorilla Doctors

Field veterinary team operating since 1986
Provides emergency medical care to mountain gorillas
Works across Rwanda, Uganda & DRC
Treats injuries, snare removals & disease response
Funded in part by gorilla trekking permit revenues

📊 Why the Numbers Are Rising

$1,500 Rwanda permit → 10% to local communities
Revenue funds anti-poaching ranger patrols
Community employment reduces poaching incentives
International attention deters habitat encroachment
Veterinary response has saved dozens of gorillas

🏫 Ellen DeGeneres Campus — Volcanoes NP, Rwanda

Built with a $5 million donation from Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, the Karisoke Research Centre campus is one of the world's most advanced gorilla research facilities — and one of the most powerful half-day experiences available near Volcanoes National Park.

Guided tours of the research and conservation facility
Live gorilla data — see which families are tracked that day
Conservation education and the story of Dian Fossey
Opportunity to symbolically adopt a gorilla
Gift shop supports gorilla conservation directly

Easily combined with gorilla trekking — a deeply moving half-day addition

Chimpanzee Conservation

🐒 Protecting East Africa's Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees face a more severe threat than gorillas — habitat destruction, bushmeat trade, and the illegal pet trade have reduced wild populations dramatically. Tourism to their habitats is a critical lifeline for their survival.

Jane Goodall Institute

The Pioneer of Chimp Research

Founded by Dr Jane Goodall after her pioneering work in Gombe, Tanzania, the JGI supports chimpanzee conservation across Africa including Uganda and Rwanda.

Tchimpounga sanctuary for rescued orphaned chimps
Roots & Shoots youth conservation programme
Community-centred conservation in Uganda
Habitat restoration and forest corridor projects

Kibale Forest, Uganda

Research & Habituation

Kibale is home to one of the world's longest-running chimpanzee research projects. The Chimpanzee Habituation Experience offers direct participation in the habituation process.

Spend a full day with a family being habituated
Observe research protocols and data collection
Maximum 4 visitors per day — deeply exclusive
Your permit revenue funds the habituation programme

Best for: Conservation-minded travelers seeking deep engagement

Nyungwe Forest, Rwanda

Canopy Conservation

Nyungwe is one of Africa's most biodiverse forests — and one of its most threatened. Conservation work here protects not just chimps but an entire ancient ecosystem.

Canopy walkway supports conservation funding
13+ primate species protected in the park
Buffer zone community projects
Forest restoration efforts around the park edges

Rhino Conservation

🦏 Bringing Back the Rhino

The reintroduction of rhinos to Akagera National Park in 2017 and the Maasai Mara in the 1990s stands as one of Africa's most remarkable conservation achievements. These are animals that were hunted to extinction in their former range — now thriving again.

🇷🇼 Akagera — Rwanda's Rhino Story

Rhinos were eliminated from Akagera during the genocide era
2017: African Parks and Rwanda Development Board reintroduce Eastern black rhinos
2021: Additional white rhinos reintroduced
The park now has a growing protected population
Anti-poaching units with aerial surveillance protect them
Trackers monitor rhinos on foot daily

🇰🇪 Ol Pejeta — Kenya's Rhino Sanctuary

Largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa
Home to the last two northern white rhinos on Earth
Advanced fertility research ongoing to save the subspecies
Conservation fee included in every visitor permit
Rhino tracking experiences available with rangers

🇹🇿 Ngorongoro — Tanzania's Rhino Refuge

The crater floor is one of the best places to see black rhinos
Protected by the enclosed caldera and armed rangers
One of Africa's highest-profile rhino conservation areas
Population slowly but steadily recovering

Community Conservation

🌍 People, Wildlife & Land

The most sustainable conservation happens when local communities benefit directly from wildlife. GorillaWise partners with community-owned lodges and conservation programmes that put local people at the heart of the solution.

Batwa Cultural Experience, Uganda

The Original Forest People

The Batwa were the indigenous inhabitants of Bwindi Forest for thousands of years before the national park was gazetted. This experience — led by Batwa guides — shares their deep forest knowledge and cultural heritage.

Forest walk led by Batwa guides
Traditional fire-making and hunting demonstrations
Medicinal plant knowledge shared
Revenue goes directly to the Batwa community
UNESCO-recognised cultural heritage

Best for: Deep cultural connection alongside gorilla trekking

Iby'Iwacu Cultural Village, Rwanda

Rwandan Heritage & Gorilla Conservation

Adjacent to Volcanoes National Park, Iby'Iwacu is a former poachers' village transformed into a thriving cultural centre — demonstrating how conservation and community development work together.

Traditional dance performances
Visit a Rwandan homestead
Meet a former poacher turned conservation ambassador
Local crafts and community-supported enterprise

Best for: Post-gorilla-trek afternoon experience

African Parks Network

Turning the Tide for African Wildlife

African Parks manages Akagera National Park in Rwanda and several other key parks across Africa — a model showing that professional conservation management combined with tourism revenue can restore entire ecosystems.

Manages 22 parks across 12 African countries
Reintroduced lions and rhinos to Akagera
Reduced poaching dramatically through ranger investment
Community employment & education programmes

Your Role

How Your Safari Directly Supports Conservation

Every dollar spent in these parks and with these lodges translates directly to wildlife protection. Here's exactly where your money goes.

💰 Where Permit Fees Go

Ranger salaries and anti-poaching patrols
10% of Rwanda permits → local community fund
Veterinary care for injured animals
Research and gorilla monitoring programmes
Habitat restoration around park borders

🏕️ Choose Community Lodges

Wilderness Sabyinyo Silverback — community-owned
Kyambura Gorge Lodge — community-owned
Profits stay in the local community
Provides employment as an alternative to poaching
GorillaWise prioritises community properties

🤝 Beyond the Trip

Adopt a gorilla via the Dian Fossey Fund
Support Gorilla Doctors veterinary care
Donate to African Parks Network
Share your experience — awareness matters
GorillaWise can advise on direct conservation donations

Planning