The Gorilla Project is committed to protecting the privacy of our volunteers, supporters, and others with whom we interact. The Gorilla Project values the trust of our volunteers and supporters and recognizes that maintaining this trust requires that we be accountable and transparent in how we treat the information shared with us.
In our quest to increase environmental awareness and action, make films about conservation and build a strong constituency, we frequently gather and use personal information. The personal data of our volunteers and supporters is always held in confidence, and any use or disclosure of this information is subject to consent.
Personal Information
Personal information is any information that can be used to distinguish, identify or contact a specific individual. This information can include an individual's name, contact information, social status, and family relationships. Exceptions include business-related information and publicly available information such as a business address, name, title, and fax. Personal information also includes anonymous or non-personal information (i.e., information that cannot be associated with or tracked back to a specific individual).
What Personal Information Do We Collect?
We collect and maintain different types of personal information about individuals with whom we interact, which is relevant to administer and manage our interactions with you.
This includes:
Contact and identification information, such as your name, address, telephone number, mobile number, e-mail address, and social media contact information.
Why Do We Collect Personal Information?
The Gorilla Project collects personal information to further its filmmaking, public education, and advocacy commitments and establish, maintain, and manage our relationship with you.
How Do We Use Personal Information?
We will not, without your consent, use your personal information for any purpose other than as described in this privacy policy; to communicate to you special announcements or offers and opportunities to lend your voice or take action, and to invite you to participate in surveys or contests.
Consent
It is vital that we only collect your personal information where we have your explicit or implied consent to do so. Typically, we seek your consent at the time that we collect the personal information.
Regularly, our volunteers are given opportunities to choose how often and in what way they wish to hear from us. At any time, our supporters can opt out of receiving communication material. Also, our supporters can opt out of having their information used or shared for purposes beyond those for which it was collected.
Retention of Personal Information
We retain personal information about you for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which the data was collected and comply with legal record retention requirements.
Privacy Practices
Personal information gathered by The Gorilla Project is kept in strict confidence. Safeguards are in place to ensure that the data is not disclosed or shared more widely, which is necessary to achieve the purpose for which it was gathered. Access is only given to employees who must use personal information to perform their job functions. Measures are in place to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the information and prevent it's being lost, stolen, or prematurely destroyed.
Cookies
Like many other websites, we use cookies, which are text files placed on your computer, to better understand how our site is used, to make sure our information and dynamic content are served correctly, and to improve the performance of our site for our users, particularly the way search pages are delivered. The Gorilla Project does not use cookies to retain personal information about our users, and we do not sell information about our traffic patterns.
This website uses Google Analytics to help analyze how users use the site. The tool uses cookies to collect standard Internet log information and visitor behavior information in an anonymous form. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) is transmitted to Google. This information is then used to evaluate visitors' use of the website and compile statistical reports on website activity for The Gorilla Project.
We will never (and will not allow any third party to) use the statistical analytics tool to track or collect any personally identifiable visitor information to our site. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. Neither we nor Google will link, or seek to link, an IP address with the identity of a computer user. We will not associate any data gathered from this site with any personally identifiable information from any source unless you explicitly submit that information via a fill-in form on our website.
External links
There are links on The Gorilla Project.org website that take you to other websites outside of our service. This privacy policy does not cover the links within this site linking to other websites. We encourage you to read the privacy statements on the other websites you visit. Any links provided to third-party websites outside of The Gorilla Project.org are provided solely for your convenience. The operation and content of such third-party websites are beyond our control. We do not endorse in any manner whatsoever or accept any responsibility for the content or other material that may be contained on such websites, the use of such websites, or any products or services advertised on or sold through any such websites. We will not be liable under any circumstances for any damages whatsoever, direct or indirect, resulting from any use of this website or any other third-party website linked to this website, whether or not we are advised of the possibility of such damages.
The Belgian Congo established Virunga in 1925 as one of Africa's first national parks. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site with lush volcanic forests, unparalleled biodiversity, and home to the endangered species of mountain gorillas. Poaching, logging, and armed conflicts in the DRC have hurt the park rangers' efforts to protect the gorillas. Hundreds of rangers have been killed over the years. In early 2020, they were on their way to the park when they saw a civilian vehicle on the side of the road. They stopped to offer assistance and fell into an ambush orchestrated by the rebel group called the "Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda". The rebels murdered 17 people, including 12 rangers. According to Abdi Latif Dahir of the New York Times, these rebels are among the largest foreign armed groups in the Congo, whose members include people wanted for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
Rebel groups and business interests are intentionally trying to destabilize the region. By preventing the rangers from protecting the mountain gorillas, they open up the park for corporations to illegally exploit the oil, charcoal, and other natural resources abundant in Virunga. The park's director, Emmanuel de Merode, was shot and wounded in 2014 when he complained about an oil company's illegal activities. Check out this clip of him discussing the gorilla massacre of 2008.
The park had to be closed in 2018 when rebels killed a ranger and kidnapped two tourists in an attempt to discourage tourism in the region. Officials also had to temporarily close the park in March 2020 because the gorillas were susceptible to catching COVID-19.
