Established in 1925, Virunga National Park is Africa's oldest park. Breathtakingly beautiful, its history spans a century and boasts an unrivalled diversity of ecosystems: from volcanoes and tropical forests to the glaciers of the Rwenzori mountains and the vast Rwindi savannahs. The Park is home to the world's last mountain gorillas and its biological wealth has justified its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

This book, written by some fifty experts, tells the complex story of a Congolese jewel and pays tribute to those working to protect it for the past hundred years. It highlights the efforts to meet the contemporary challenges of conflicts, poverty and humanitarian crises. Far from postcard clichés, the Park has become a lever for stabilising and developing an entire region.

Browsing through these pages is an invitation to a journey where courage, resilience and innovation in the service of both nature and people continue to shape the legend of Virunga National Park.