Under the leadership of Marc Languy and Emmanuel de Merode, 36 conservationists describe the past and present efforts to protect Virunga, Africa's first National Park. With over 240 color photographs, 60 maps and 45 graphs, the authors also give a detailed overview of the park, its habitats and wildlife and propose practical measures for the protection of this unique conservation area that has been at the heart of some of the bloodiest conflicts in half a century. Combining historic data with the most recent technology, such as high-resolution satellite imagery, this book provides a wealth of information on the dynamics and the current status of the park, home to gorillas, okapis, tropical glaciers and the world's largest active volcanoes.