The Fernan-Vaz Gorilla Project (FVGP) is partnered with Africa’s Eden, an ecotourism operator in Gabon.  With it's ‘tourism pays for conservation' mission statement, Africa's Eden's wishes to develop a sustainable approach to conservation through low-impact tourism.  This includes support toward the FVGP's daily operations (Ex.: staff salaries, gorilla care, and education campaigns).    

 Tourism as part of the solution

As part of the solution to attenuating the bush meat trade, the FVGP recognises the value of responsible ecotourism and its role in encouraging the local economy and providing employment to the local people.  Tourism revenue can also help finance the daily operations of conservation-minded projects. Our hope is that tourism in Gabon can eventually provide significant revenue and employment to convert poachers into rangers and to provide local families with revenue that can pay for their children’s education and health care, all the while ensuring that gorillas (and other protected species) remain safely within their habitat.

What is Gorilla-Conscious Tourism?

At the Fernan-Vaz Gorilla Project (FVGP), we view "gorilla-conscious tourism" as an activity that does not compromise the well-being or the welfare of gorillas, that does not compromise the long-term objectives of the gorillas (for example, reintroduction back into the wild), and that fully integrates members of the local and national community.  Responsible tourism also has minimal impact on the environment, contributes to the local economy, and promotes capacity-building.    With respect to the FVGP's Sanctuary gorillas, gorilla viewing should never involve direct physical or visual contact, and should not compromise the welfare of the gorillas including the risk for disease transmission.  Visits therefore need to be regulated to factor in all potential sources of stress to the gorillas.  We believe that the Sanctuary gorillas play an important role in helping us raise awareness on issues related to the bush meat trade and the possible imminent extinction of all african great-apes.   

Gorilla Orphans and Traumatic Backgrounds

Many people would love to hold a baby gorilla (or baby animals in general) because they are charismatic and endearing. What many people forget though is that illegally captured animals are brutally taken away from their parents, families and habitat. For any animal subjected to human exposure, as minimal and as insignificant as we may believe the level of exposure to be, the potential ability to reintroduce this individual into the wild is critically compromised if not eliminated. Also, there is a risk for disease transmission.  Life in the wild and human exposure are simply incompatible. This is primarily why gorilla orphans within FVGP's Rehabilitation program are not exposed to tourists or researchers. The only humans they are subjected to, which are minimal at that, are the local staff who act as their surrogate parents until reintroduction can hopefully occur.

For more information on tourism in Gabon, you can visit Africa’s Eden at: http://www.africas-eden.com