Efforts to protect the critically endangered mountain gorilla received a big boost yesterday when Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo agreed to cooperate on a 10-year conservation plan for the animals.

Only 720 mountain gorillas remain in the wild, all of them in the misty hills of central Africa where the three countries' borders meet. In the past 14 months, at least 10 gorillas have been killed in Congo's Virunga park by rebel fighters and people involved in the illegal charcoal trade.

Despite the apes' vulnerability, conflict and mistrust among the countries has previously prevented formal cooperative efforts to stop the poaching and stem human encroachment. But in a joint statement yesterday, wildlife officials said their park authorities would work together "to ensure the conservation of the mountain gorillas and their Afromontane forest habitat".

Moses Mapesa, head of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, told a news conference in Kampala: "For the first time, the three countries have decided to protect the great apes which are threatened with extinction and insecurity in the region."

More than a decade of human conflict has damaged tourism in eastern Congo, but for Uganda and Rwanda the gorillas are still a prime attraction, with visitors paying £200 or more for a day-permit to visit apes accustomed to the presence of people. But policing the habitat is expensive and dangerous. Most of the human dwellers nearby are extremely poor and rely on poaching, as well as illegal cultivation and wood-cutting, for cash.

The Dutch government is providing £3.1m for the first four years of the project, which aims to protect habitat as well address the dangers facing the animals.

Anecto Kayitare, of the International Gorilla Conservation Programme, which is backing the plan, said the fund could rise to £50m if donors like the EU joined up.

The conservationist Richard Leakey, who runs a wildlife charity in Congo, said: "If this sort of money comes through, this could be the big breakthrough we've all been waiting for. The mountain gorilla is as endangered as any species could be."

A secretariat will harmonise the conservation laws and policies of the countries, and information on the gorillas, as well as poachers, will be shared. The funds will help nearby villagers, giving them alternative sources of income and cooking fuel.

About 340 of the mountain gorillas roam mostly in south-west Uganda, with a further 250 in Rwanda, and 130 in eastern Congo. Rebels still control large parts of the Virunga park, including the gorilla areas, and refuse to allow in ranger patrols.

(The Guardian, 21/02/2008)