Why Help Mountain Gorillas

Mountain Gorillas are the closest link to mankind with 98.6% the same DNA as you and me. MGCF introduced wildlife veterinary medicine in 1986 and was the first of it’s kind in the world for the protection of a endangered animal. Today, MGCF is expanding its veterinary program by educating local Ugandans and Rwandans to become veterinarians.  The current facility at Makerere University, has outgrown itself and we need more room to further the education of locals to first, protect the mountain gorilla, then expand to other wildlife in Uganda and Rwanda.   MGCF was the first in the world to ever build an "on location" vet center in 1986 for the protection of endangered animals.  Since then, 20 expatriate veterinarians have served in the countries and now locals have been educated enough to take over and protect their own wildlife. This is a great thing for central Africa!

The discovery of the Mountain Gorillas took place in the Virunga Mountaings, on October 17th, 1902, by Captain Robert von beringe. In celebration of this event and to promote the preservation of the Mountain Gorillas, the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund (MGCF) is undertaking several projects to achieve the goal of saving these gorillas from extinction. The Current Projects section gives a brief description of eight of these projects.

In 1987, only 248 Mountain Gorillas lived in the wild. Because of projects coordinated by the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund, there are now over 790 living in the wild. MGCF is dedicated to ensuring the future of the Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. By providing a partnership of business, wildlife conservation, and community development, MGCF addresses the single biggest challenge facing preservation of these animals today; how do we help communities in developing areas grow and prosper without destroying precious habitat or the Mountain Gorillas who call it home.