Gorillas remained unknown to the Western world until 1847 when they were discovered and brought to Western attention by Thomas Savage, a missionary in West Africa. As with many new discoveries, the gorillas were initially feared and misunderstood. Thomas Savage wrote, "They are exceedingly ferocious and always offensive in their habits". Later in 1856, Pal du Chaillu, an American explorer, was the first to shoot a gorilla and described the gorilla as a "...hellish dream creature - a being of that hideous order, half man half beast, which we find pictured by old artists in some representations of the infernal regions."

Mountain gorillas were first catalogued for the West by Captain Robert von Beringe in 1902 whilst travelling to Rwanda through the Virunga Massif. Along his journey, von Beringe spotted a group of black, large apes which attempted to climb to the highest peak of the Sabyinyo Volcano - in local language, "Sabyinyo" means "old man's teeth." Of this group von Beringe managed to shoot two. Thus, the mountain gorillas acquired their scientific name, Gorilla beringei beringei.

Subsequent research followed to learn more about the mountain gorilla, discovering the peaceful and familial nature of their existence, giving rise to their current designation as gentle giants. In the mid-twentieth century, prominent researchers George Schaller and Dian Fossey sought to learn more about them and changed the world's view of mountain gorillas. Dian Fossey pioneered gorilla habituation as a means to learn more about them and to complete a mountain gorilla census. In the process, she discovered their rapidly dwindling numbers due to poaching and human encroachment on their habitat, threatening the survival of the species. She courageously dedicated her life to saving the mountain gorillas, bringing their plight to the international stage, and ultimately lost her life in the process. Her life and story, including her untimely and mysterious death, are chronicled in the movie, Gorillas in the Mist.

Mountain Gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) are only found in the Virunga Massif, an area that covers parts of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda. They are not found any where else in the world. Mountain gorillas are categorized as an endemic sub-species considered to be in "critical danger" by UICN, the World Conservation Union. The gorilla population declined during 1970 to an all-time low due to park encroachment, human-wildlife conflicts, armed-conflict in the region and poaching. Since then, the number of mountain gorillas has been steadily increasing, due in large part to the combined and concentrated efforts of ORTPN (the Rwandan national office in charge of tourism and national park), international and national conservation projects, and dedicated individuals, who like Dian Fossey, and committed to the protection and conservation of mountain gorillas and their habitat. According to the most recent estimate, done in 2004, mountain gorillas now number about 700 in the wild.

The continued growth in mountain gorillas is celebrated each year in Rwanda by hosting the Gorilla Naming Ceremony, a national event where all conservationists, government officials, local people, and partners in conservation come together to celebrate the new birth of gorilla babies and give them names.

Since its start in 1979, gorilla tourism has helped change Rwandans’ perception of mountain gorilla conservation and habitat protection by providing an economic rationale. Currently, it is the third largest driver of the Rwanda economy, after tea and coffee. Tourist statistics for Parc National des Volcans (PNV) have been rising steadily since 1974, when Rwanda's Office for Tourism and National Parks (ORTPN) was created to oversee gorilla conservation and tourism development.

The first gorilla group to be visited was group 11, followed by group 9 and group 13 in 1981, Susa group in 1983, Sabyinyo group in 1992 and Amahoro group in 1997. In 1990, gorilla visits declined significantly in Rwanda as a result the war and the 1994 genocide. Through the process of Rwandan rebirth and renewal that has led to the current peace in the country, mountain gorilla tourism has been growing rapidly to 10,641 tourists in 2005 (up from 6,952 in 1989).

However, more work must be done to continue to ensure the safety of the mountain gorillas and their habitat. You can help ensure that your tourism dollars are used to maximum benefit. Currently, 50% of your park fees are donated to the on-going conservation activities through ORTPN. At Rwanda Eco-Tours, we go one step further, donating 20% of our profits not only to the gorillas, but also to the local communities surrounding PNV, in an effort to foster a more direct link between the gorilla tourism and realization of local benefits. In this way, we invest in the gorillas as a renewable resource, encouraging the growth of the mountain gorilla population. See for yourself how we've put tourism dollars to work.

If you would like to read more about the history of the mountain gorillas, we recommend the following books:

• Gorillas in the Mist, Dian Fossey
• Gorilla Struggle for Survival in the Virungas, George B. Schaller
• The Virunga Gorillas: Decline of an "Island" Population, A. H. Harcout and Dian Fossey.
• In the Kingdom of Gorillas: Fragile species in dangerous land, Bill Weber and Amy Vedder.
• No one loved the gorillas more: Dian Fossey-letters from the mist, Camilla de la Badoyere.
• Search for Mountain Gorillas (Choose Your Own Adventure book), Jim Wallace