Shrouded in mist and hanging moss, the mountain forests of the Virunga volcanoes are home to the magnificent mountain gorillas.

A chain of eight volcanoes runs along the western branch of the Great Rift Valley, forming part of the border between Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda.

These spectacular mountains and the nearby Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda are the last refuge of the mountain gorilla (Gorilla gorilla beringei), the world's most endangered primate.

The Virunga Heartland is one of the world's most important biodiversity sites. It is the last remaining African mountain forest habitat on the planet for mountain gorillas and hosts a spectacular array of other rare and endangered animals and plants.

The Virunga Heartland is anchored by four irreplaceable protected areas:

• Rwanda's Volcano National Park encompasses the upper reaches of five dormant volcanoes. The lower slopes, the gorillas' primary habitat, are covered with dense forest and bamboo; higher up, moors are thick with giant heath, lobelia and groundsel. Golden monkeys, yellow-backed duikers (small antelopes) and 200 species of birds live in the park. Lake Kivu, 56 miles long, lies southwest of the park in the western Rift Valley.
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   The Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) Virunga National Park, at almost 2 million acres, is an enormous park rich in landscapes and wildlife. Mountain gorillas, chimpanzees and monkeys live in the park's southern sector. Elsewhere in the park, grasslands and lake shores host elephants, buffaloes, impala-like kobs, topis (antelopes), waterbucks, lions, black-backed jackals, hippos, yellow-billed storks, hammerkops and pelicans. The raucous call of large forest hornbills echoes through the forest.
   
•  Uganda's Mgahinga National Park protects mountain forest and bamboo on the northern slopes of peaks whose southern slopes are in Rwanda and DRC. A small alpine lake is at the top of one volcano, 13,000 feet high. The area is home to mountain gorillas and other species, such as golden monkeys.
   
•  Also in Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park protects much of the Impenetrable Forest, which features both mid-altitude and mountain forest in a non-volcanic mountain range, with more than 120 species of mammals. The forest, one of the most species-rich in Africa, boasts a large number of primates as well as clawless otters, side-striped jackals, golden cats and more. The park also hosts hundreds of species of birds and butterflies.