The popular American TV personality, comedian and actor, was recently on her visit in Rwanda accompanied by the wife Portia de Rossi who proposed building a magnificent facility as agift to the husband on his birthday to compliment Dian fossey’ legacy on protecting and conserving mountain gorillas since they are less than 1000 remaining in the world. Rwanda has 245 mountain gorillas in volacnoes national park and the remaining population can be found in neighboutghbouring congo and uganda which has a higher concetration of 440 moutain gorillas .it is known Ellen DeGeneres loved and admired the work by late Dian Fossey, the first American conservationist and primatologist to study mountain gorillas virunga massif, volcanoes national park when she first came to Africa in 1963 and set up the camp in 1967 in the virunga ranges Karisoke research center a combination of the Karisimbi and Bisoke volcanic mountains in volcanoes national park.Un fortunately she was gunned downed by the rebels in 1985 when she met her death in the cabin where she stayed.
For the love of wild life Ellen DeGeneres quotes “I love animals, and I want to protect them, especially when they’re endangered. We need these incredible creatures and they need our love and compassion to help save them.”
The Ellen DeGeneres wildlife fund has been ongoing more than ten years in Ruhengeri but now wants to put an improved and permanent structure in volcanoes national park near Karisoke research center. The duo has met with Rwanda’s president, Paul Kagame, where they discussed the establishment of the Ellen DeGeneres Campus that will support conservation of mountain gorillas. The campus will be opened in 2020 featuring classrooms for training and public education, library for researchers and visiting students from around the world, laboratories and showcasing Dian fosseys work. The Ellen DeGeneres campus will be accessed by everyone to train the next generation about the future Gorilla conservation as well as give basic needs to people living near the gorilla habitants like volcanoes national park. The campus will also carry on Dian Fosseys work to keep gorillas safe in virunga ranges of volcanoes national park and virunga national park, collaborate with the nearby communities since Dian fosseys time, expand on science and research programs and also support the government of Rwanda on the protection measures and activities.