I was born within this park and there are now 13 years, I am working for its conservation through the Pole Pole Foundation (POPOF), a local NGO that we have created to involve local communities in the park's conservation.

Since 1996, successive wars started by the eastern DR Congo and have badly affected the park's ecosystem. The mark of this park is that it is an habitat of many endemic species of plants and animals. While efforts are being made to protect the Mountain gorillas in the Virungas, few people around the world know about the other sub-species of the Gorillas that live only in the Kahuzi-Biega national Park region; the Goriila gorilla graueri. Researchers have reported that their population have been declined to 70% the ten years ago.

The present state of this World Heritage Site needs more efforts from international and national levels to save some of the remained individuals in the forest.

It is a bit difficult to provide all the information in a short letter of fews words like this one. If specific information are needed, we will be pleased to provide some, if requested at popofdrc@yahoo.fr

With very best wishes,

Bikaba.