Parc National des Volcans is an untamed and timeless area with ancient volcanoes, swathed in rich, green rainforest, their steep slopes providing habitat for the rare mountain gorillas.
It is largely thanks to Dian Fossey that the poaching of gorilla has been greatly reduced; the release of the film ‘Gorillas in the Mist,’ three years after her untimely death brought her work to a worldwide audience, and the subsequent growth in tourism has also helped to raise local awareness. The Parc National des Volcan hosts over 76 mammal species and over half the world’s population of mountain gorillas. Here you can enjoy trekking through the rainforest in search of these wonderful creatures - an exhilarating and memorable experience.
The forest is alive with the calls of colourful birds and chatterings of the rare golden monkey, and every so often there are tantalising glimpses of the magnificent peaks of the Virunga range through the forest canopy.
The range of activities available in the park (other than gorilla tracking for those with permits) includes nature walks, climbing Visoke volcano, trekking to the Karisoke Research Centre, visiting local communities or watching habituated golden monkeys.
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