Conservation at Scale
Expanding Volcanoes National Park
It is one of conservation's greatest success stories. But it is not over.
Why it matters
<250
mountain gorillas were left in the Virunga Massif in 1981 — so few that scientists feared the subspecies was already lost.
1,000+
mountain gorillas live there today, after four decades of sustained protection.
But with the rebounding of the gorilla population comes new challenges: to ensure the park is large enough to support mountain gorilla families, and that the surrounding countryside provides for the human families who live near the park.
Rwanda is not leaving this to chance. The country has developed an ambitious green growth strategy aimed at restoring and expanding Volcanoes National Park while investing in enterprises and infrastructure that improve the lives of people who call its slopes home.
The Program
Backed by the World Bank and built to the highest international standards, the Volcanoes National Park Expansion and Community Resilience Program is a once-in-a-generation undertaking — and the African Wildlife Foundation has been at the table from the start, co-developing the Conservation and Development Master Plan that guides it.
-
23%
Expanding Volcanoes National Park to give gorilla families the range they need to grow.
-
6,620ha
Establishing a buffer zone of agroforestry and sustainable agriculture, easing the pressure between wildlife and farmland.
-
17,000+
Building modern villages with electricity, schools, and health clinics so more than 17,000 Rwandans can relocate with dignity and opportunity.
-
15–20%
Targeting growth in the gorilla population and a 50% reduction in infant gorilla mortality, while decreasing human–wildlife conflict.
This is what conservation at scale looks like: a park big enough for gorillas, and a landscape that works for the families living alongside it.
Personal Story
One family. One mountain.
One future being rewritten.
Numbers tell you the scale. This film tells you why it matters. Meet one of the families whose life is changing as Volcanoes National Park expands — and see, up close, what it means to build a future where wildlife and community don't compete for the same ground.
Go Further
Conservation at Scale: Expanding Volcanoes National Park
AWF has spent decades turning Africa's most urgent conservation challenges into lasting solutions — working alongside governments, communities, and partners like the Rwanda Development Board to make growth like this possible.
As Kwita Izina celebrates another generation of named gorillas, we invite you to go further: to learn how your support can help secure land, livelihoods, and a future for the species and the people of the Volcanoes landscape.
A member of our team will be in touch personally — no obligation, just a conversation about where your impact could matter most.