Amid armed conflict, volcanic activity, and rampant deforestation, Africa’s oldest national park, Virunga, is turning to an innovative conservation strategy: chocolate gorillas.
To mark its 100th anniversary, Virunga National Park, located in war-ravaged eastern Congo, has partnered with a nearby chocolate factory to produce 25,000 handcrafted chocolate gorillas. The treats will be sold across Europe, including in Belgium, Congo’s former colonial power.
Spanning over 3,000 square miles, Virunga is home to some of the last remaining mountain gorillas, but much of the park is under rebel control, and ongoing violence has led to widespread forest destruction. Since January, M23 rebels have taken control of eastern Congo’s two largest cities, escalating regional tensions.
The cocoa used to create the chocolate gorillas is sourced from farms on the park’s outskirts, part of an initiative to encourage agricultural development and reduce reliance on poaching and illegal logging. The chocolate factory is located just five kilometers (3.1 miles) outside the park, and the profits from chocolate sales are intended to support nearby communities.
Clarisse Kyakimwa, a local cocoa farmer, has been working her land for three years and sees the benefits of the initiative in her daily life. “This cocoa helps me send my children to school, feed them, and pay my hospital bills,” she said.
However, she has yet to see the finished product: a chocolate gorilla with its arms around a young one. “They say this chocolate is sent abroad, but I’ve never seen it, since we’re not used to eating it,” she explained.
Despite the ongoing instability in the region, including challenges in securing cocoa, the project is seen as a symbol of Virunga’s resilience. “The chocolate gorillas represent the park’s strength in the face of many threats,” said Emmanuel de Merode, director of Virunga National Park.
The project aims to boost local development while fostering global awareness of the park’s unique biodiversity and the ongoing struggles it faces.