I was privileged to meet Jean Pierre Jobogo Mirindi in Kruger International Park, South Africa, in September 2000.

We were both attending the 3rd World Congress of the International Ranger Federation, along with rangers from around fifty different countries. It was already a trip of a lifetime for me but I was unaware of just how memorable a trip it was going to be….

Mountain gorillas had always been a great love of mine but since watching ‘Gorillas in The Mist’ several years earlier, my interest had deepened - but I had no idea who the fellow was who had just sat down next to me. We began by introducing ourselves and explaining our work as rangers in our very different parts of the world. To my utter surprise, I soon realised I was talking to one of the Senior Rangers whose main task it was to safeguard the Mountain Gorillas in the Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo. As you might expect of two people with a common and genuine passion for the gorillas, we began discussing in earnest his daily work. He was quite obviously a very dedicated man, with profound concern for the gorillas.

Jean Pierre went on to describe the work of his patrol group and I was astonished at how very little basic equipment they have to work with. I felt truly humbled as I learned of the risks and difficulties he and his ranger colleagues face every day, whilst trying to protect the worlds’ most endangered primate. Not only are the gorillas threatened in many ways in their last remaining habitat on earth, but the rangers who protect them risk their lives daily and are woefully ill-equipped. The dangers faced by the gorillas and the rangers are described elsewhere on this site, but suffice to say around 80 rangers have been killed on duty over the last ten years, due to the ongoing civil war and roving militia groups in the rain forest.

These rangers ‘at the sharp end’ are desperately proud of their work and prize their jobs as guardians of this rare world heritage. In ‘About this project…’ you can see the list of equipment they desperately need. It was around an hour after we met that the promise was made with ‘a gentleman's handshake’ to take out as much equipment as possible to Jean Pierre and his rangers, to make their jobs a little easier and, just perhaps, a little safer.