The Karisoke research institute was established by an American primatologist known as Dian Fossey who dedicated her life to the studying an conversation of gorillas in the Virunga ranges in the Albertine region of Africa, the institute derives it’s name from a combination of two mountains that is Mount Karisimbi and mount Bisoke.
The Karisoke research institute was established on September 1967, the institute now protects half of the worlds remaining mountain gorillas numbering over 400 a great population increase since the effort of Dian Fossey when they were almost extinct on planet.
The Karisoke research institute lies in the eight of the virunga ranges in Congo poaching has been managed by setting rules against poaching activities but the demand of land for settlement and agriculture use has greatly threatened gorillas of the virunga Massif
The Karisoke research institute Provides daily protection of the endangered mountain gorillas thanks Good for the work well done years ago by Dian Fossey he founder of the institute, the Karisoke also serves as a plat form for scientists, primatologist and research student all over the world who can study gorillas in their natural habitat.
The Karisoke research institute continued to function after Dian Fossey was murder on the 26th of December in 1985 under the Dian Fossey gorilla fund international. The facilities moved to a more modern facility in the year 2012 to a place called Musanze.
The Karisoke research institute survived when Fossey was brutally murdered and all through the civil wars and Rwandan genocide in 1994 though most of the Karisoke workers ran to the nearby countries to seek refuge during the genocide they lost their loved ones, homes and a lot of properties.
Before the facility was relocated to Musanze, it was rebuilt two times after being destroyed three times though the center was destroyed, the mountain gorillas were not greatly affected, Fossey’s monument t still stands in honor of the great work she did to the conservation and study of the gorillas.
The locals often referred to Dian Fossey as the woman who lived at the mountains without a man, there has been great day collection about mountain gorillas since it’s establishment the center has greatly improved on people’s living standards through employment of the locals at the park as staffs and others rangers. The country has also earned foreign exchange though gorilla trekking don in the virunga ranges.
Karisoke research institute also supports schools and hospitals around the area plus providing education to the locals about the importance, conservation and role of gorillas in the community. A book was written by Dian Fossey and was later produced into a film known as “Gorillas in the Mist”
The Karisoke research institute also provides tourists with information about the life of its founder Dian Fossey, mountain gorillas can be hiked at the mountain slopes there are also chances of seeing other wild animals at Volcanoes national park plus many species of birds to be seen.
Tourists who would love to spend a night can choose from a wide range of accommodation units some of this is Mikeno lodge among the rest.
The best time to visit Rwanda for gorilla trekking experience can be all year round more so by the researchers and scientists for tourists who would just love to trekking gorillas the dry season is the best when the fruits are ripe and the vegetation not very thick making it easy to view animals.
