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Gorilla Conservation in Gabon
The western lowland gorilla faces a multitude of threats, from loss of habitat to disease and the bushmeat trade. The largest populations of western lowland gorilla are found in Gabon and the Republic of Congo.
This project aims to conserve western lowland gorillas in Lopé National Park in Gabon through a combination of ecotourism development, forest monitoring and capacity building.
In 2003, with the aim of protecting its national heritage, Gabon set up a network of 13 National Parks with a vision of developing ecotourism to diversify the country’s economy.
However, a lack of national capacity to manage so many new protected areas has led ZSL to offer technical support to the new Gabonese National Parks agency (ANPN).
Within Lopé National Park, ZSL manages the Mikongo Conservation Centre (MCC), which aims to develop sustainable eco-tourism, including tracking and viewing western lowland gorillas. The centre also carries out field surveys, research and community outreach to support ecotourism development, wildlife conservation and community development.
Funds from ZSL, the European Union, the French Environment Fund, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, BBC Wildlife Fund, Houston Zoo and individual donations have supported MCC through its development and now provide the financial means to employ, equip and train local staff to carry out the project's core activities, helping to build Gabonese capacity for conservation management and research.
The project is active in and protects an area of 100km2, provides a rainforest experience and educational facility for tourists and village school groups, and crucially monitors trends in gorilla populations and human and ape health.
When the project is fully developed it is hoped that tourism revenues will support both the management of Lope National Park and a high percentage of the running costs of MCC, resulting in a model for sustainable conservation in Central Africa.
By giving value to the forest, and the animals therein, we hope to improve the chances that governments and local communities will support unlogged and unhunted forests.
Visit ZSL's gorilla conservation and research station and enjoy a stay in our special forest ecotourism camp. Around 200 visitors currently visit MCC each year, staying in comfortable chalets set in the heart of the rainforest and enjoying forest walks, community visits and the hospitality of our friendly Gabonese staff. |
Donate online direct to our gorilla field conservation work
Find out more by downloading the 
Gorilla Conservation in Gabon - Information Sheet (728 KB)
