100 Years. Still Standing.

Africa’s first national park. One century of conservation. One year of extraordinary resilience.

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In 2025, the Park celebrated its centenary while facing one of the most severe security crises in its recent history, including an armed offensive on the city of Goma at the start of the year. Yet its Rangers, communities, and partners never stopped: Virunga National Park maintained active conservation operations across 65% of its territory and delivered 75% of its full annual action plan.

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April 2025 holds particular historical significance, with the celebration of Virunga National Park’s centenary, marking one hundred years of continuous commitment to nature conservation and the protection of a natural heritage of global importance. This commemoration provided an opportunity to mobilize institutional partners, local communities, civil society, and public authorities around a shared vision for the Park’s future, focused on sustainability, inclusion, and peace.

Emmanuel de Merode Virunga National Park's Director

2025 Conservation Highlights

  • 69,511 gorilla observations recorded in the field

  • 4 eastern lowland gorillas reintroduced to the wild

  • 2,250 km² patrolled on foot

  • 1,500 ha reforested through community-led tree planting

  • 10,000+ residents granted controlled access to deadwood

Virunga Alliance

In 2025, the Virunga Alliance advanced two of its core strategic pillars: energy development and sustainable agriculture. On the energy side, key investments included the development of the Rwanguba II power plant, which aims to double production capacity by 2026. This was part of a broader USD 33.3 million investment in 2025 which also strengthened the distribution network and electrical substations.

On the agricultural side, the Alliance completed three new agro-industrial units, including the Virunga Origins refinery and a chocolate factory. The consolidated Virunga Alliance budget reached USD 80.6 million in 2025, demonstrating the scale and strength of the public-private partnership model.

2025 Virunga Alliance Highlights

  • 4,029 households connected to clean hydroelectric power

  • 162 local businesses powered by Virunga Energies

  • 1,220 jobs created at Virunga Origins (420 direct, 800 indirect)

  • 380 cooperative members earning stable incomes in Lubero

  • +15.3% growth in Virunga Energies' annual sales, (USD 14.5M in 2025)

The year 2025 confirms that Virunga National Park remains a central pillar of conservation in Africa, as well as a key player in socio-economic development and regional stabilization. The joint efforts of ICCN (Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation), Virunga Foundation, partners, and communities have made it possible to preserve the essential ecological values of the site despite a complex environment. The continuation of this positive trajectory will depend on the collective capacity to consolidate peace, invest sustainably in local communities, and strengthen local institutions, so that conservation becomes a true engine of shared prosperity.

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Virunga Foundation 2025 Operational Budget

  • Ranger & Staff Salaries$10,752,00056%
  • Other Core Operating Costs$5,607,00029.2%
  • Transport & Aviation$1,800,0009.4%
  • Medical Care$930,0004.8%
  • Widows & Families Social Support$115,0000.6%

View our full report for a more detailed breakdown

Nearly three-quarters of Virunga’s operating budget (71.6%) funds and supports the rangers and staff who protect the park every day, because conservation at Virunga National Park is, above all, a human effort. Air operations have been expanded to respond faster to demands across the park, with transport costs now representing 26% of total spend. Our support for widows and their families also continues through the Women’s Workshop Program, which currently supports 130 women and 86 children. Every dollar reflects the same principle: protecting Virunga means investing in the people who make it possible.

2025 could not have happened without our key partners

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