Aaron and Caitlin hiked into the Rwanda jungle (with guides) to see the famous mountain gorillas.
Nearly half of the world's 700-some remaining mountain gorillas live in the Virunga Mountains
of central Africa, at the intersection of Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the
Congo. The volcanic slopes here are lush with tropical forests and diverse mammal, bird, and
reptile species—but they are also at the heart of a region in crisis. With the help of
dedicated wildlife rangers, comprehensive monitoring, and community education programs, the
endangered gorilla population in the Virungas experienced a nearly 20 percent increase in the
early 2000s. But in 2007, at least ten gorillas in Virunga National Park were lost to murder and
chaos.