Chapter 15, Student Web Activities, Our World Today: People, Places, and Issues, Texas Edition, Glencoe, 2003

Social Studies, The American Republic Since 1877

Chapter 15: East and Central Africa
"Rwanda's Mountain Gorillas"

Introduction
For nearly 20 years, researcher Dian Fossey lived among Rwanda's mountain gorillas. She documented their lives, habits, and habitat. When she realized that the mountain gorillas were headed toward extinction, she began a worldwide effort to save them. Raising money herself, she was able to start an anti-poaching campaign. Through her efforts the decline in mountain gorillas was stopped, and today they are gaining in number.

Destination Title: Mountain Gorilla Page

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Directions
Start at the Mountain Gorilla home page.

Click on All About Gorillas.
Scroll down the page to read the information. Then answer the following questions.

1. What are the Virungas?

2. How many subspecies of gorilla are there? Which is the rarest?

3. How many mountain gorillas lived in the Virungas in 1960? How many live there today?

4. How has the civil war in Rwanda affected the mountain gorillas?

5. After you have read all the information on this site, visit the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund site at www.gorillas.org. Using information from both sites, create a flyer promoting efforts to save mountain gorillas.