Virunga National Park, declared a United Nations World Heritage Site in 1979 and nestled among the African nations of Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo, is unavoidably associated with conflict both within and outside park boundaries. A region characterized by political unrest and conflict for decades, the fight taking place within its boundaries — to preserve the remaining population of the critically endangered mountain gorilla — is ongoing but largely described as a conservation initiative that has been working.
As BBC reports, we have an opportunity to join the battle to help fight this good fight, but instead of a firearm, the best weapon of choice is a cell phone.
Developed and launched by the park itself and available for purchase for $4 at the iTunes store, the iGorilla app for the iPhone and recently launched iPad allows users to check in on the daily lives of gorilla families that call the park home. As the BBC notes, the interrelated challenges of deforestation, poaching and regional strife have brought terrible pressures on these great apes but recent years have witnessed earnest conservation efforts that have stabilized the gorilla population. By launching the new digital tool, the park’s management and conservation community aims to broaden the world’s awareness of these remarkable animals, the threats they still face, and the importance of supporting their ongoing viability.
All proceeds from sales of the app go directly to the park, and upon download, users are able to review the various gorilla families that live in Virunga, and to select which gorilla family they wish to follow. Updates on the selected family’s whereabouts and goings-on will subsequently arrive in the form of field reports, videos and photos uploaded by park conservation staff according to BBC.
Photo by TKnoxB via Wikimedia Commons.