Gorilla Conservation

Support gorilla conservation

The biggest threat to Grauer's gorillas (a type of mountain gorilla) comes from armed conflict near the forests they call home.

Donate Now

Gorillas are powerful yet shy and intelligent. Unfortunately, fewer than 4,500 eastern gorillas remain in the world. Your Zoo has been working with the world's foremost gorilla conservation organization for more than two decades to help secure a future for gorillas.

The challenge

Mountain gorillas are critically endangered. The biggest threat to Grauer's gorillas (a type of mountain gorilla) comes from armed conflict near the forests they call home. Poaching and human-animal conflict over the last few decades have reduced the number of gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

What we're doing

The Zoo works with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International (DFGFI) and University of Rwanda, investing in the next generation of conservation leaders through training and education, and supporting the rangers who guard and study gorillas in Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. The Zoo's partnership with DFGFI dates back to more than two decades of gorilla conservation.

DFGFI is currently protecting gorillas by:

• Training young Rwanda students through the Memoirs Program (in partnership with Cleveland Metroparks Zoo)
• Protecting Grauer's gorillas in Democratic Republic of Congo using monitoring and protection programs
• Increasing conservation knowledge around mountain gorilla habitats in Uganda through the Bwindi Apes Conservation Education Partnership

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's Future for Wildlife program protects gorillas by:

• Equipping guards and conducting anti-poaching patrols
• Working with communities to protect gorilla habitats
• Providing training and professional development through a partnership with the Memoirs Program

How you can help

Funding conservation organizations based in the communities where gorillas live helps stabilize the wild gorilla population.

• Make a donation toward gorilla conservation at the top of this page.
• Recycle your cell phone and other consumer electronics.

Gorilla trackers in Rwanda thank Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and the Cleveland Zoological Society for their support

Video: Watch our conservation partner chat with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International

Blog: Learn more about the Zoo's longstanding partnership with DFGFI.

Blog: A first-ever study of the impact of conservation films show an increase of how local communities can help primates.

Blog: Did you know your choices have an effect on gorillas? Learn to be a smart consumer with your electronics.

Supporting student research: Staff from the Zoo’s Department of Conservation & Science travel to Rwanda each year to provide mentoring and training sessions to the next generation of conservationists as part of the Memoirs Program.