Volcanoes National park is a stop Centre for all Rwanda gorilla safaris sheltering the highest number of mountain gorillas in the Virunga Conservation area. The strategic location of the VNP roughly two (2) hours’ drive from Kigali international airport make it the most accessible gorilla national park in the world. Besides gorillas, Volcanoes National park is a home for golden monkeys, a variety of birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects among other creatures which together make a complete Rwanda safari package.
On Spanning hundred and sixty (160) square Kilometres area in the northern part of Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park is part of the great Virunga volcano conservation region expanding to cover Virunga National Park Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. It was initially a small area around Karisimbi, Mikeno and Visoke volcanoes gazetted to protect the Mountain gorillas facing the threat of extinction as a result of poaching.
In 1929, Volcanoes National Park was extended into Rwanda and the then Belgian Congo and named as Albert National Park managed and run by the Belgian Colonial Authorities. During the early 1960s, the Park was divided as Rwanda and Congo gained their independence and by the end of that decade, the park was almost half of its original size. The American primatologist madam Dian Fossey in 1967, begun conducting research on mountain Gorillas in the forests of Congo, then fled from insecurity due to wars and established her research base at a place between Visoke and Karisimbi volcanoes that was yet to be known as Karisoke research center.
She spearheaded the Conservation campaign of the mountain gorillas and mobilized resources to fight against poaching in this area, a fight she put up until her murder in 1985 and chose to be buried at the research center next to the grave of her favorite gorilla called Digit. The park continued to suffer at the mercies of poachers though Conservation efforts were also underway. In the 1990s, the Park became a battlefield for Rwanda’s civil war paralyzing tourism activities until 1999. In 2005, in a bid to boost Conservation and gorilla tours in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda introduced the annual baby naming ceremony for baby gorillas known as ‘Kwita Iziina’ which has seen great results in as far as gorilla population in volcanoes are concerned.