Already, their rangers ride the enormous beasts on anti-poaching patrols around the 7,000-acre park.

Fossey made new observations, completed the first accurate census, and established active conservation practices, such as anti-poaching patrols.

These were used on anti-poaching patrols when the rangers needed equivalent fire-power to take on the gangs of poachers.

Fossey subsequently created the Digit Fund to raise money for anti-poaching patrols.

In 1993, a pair of O-2As were delivered for anti-poaching patrols over Zimbabwe's national parks.

Over the fence, where there are no anti-poaching patrols, the game has been hunted almost to extinction.

So to protect the gorillas, anti-poaching patrols are still necessary.

The ultimate aim of this project is to use elephants on anti-poaching patrols, and also on tourist safaris.

But for the last six years, a rhino-protection program that emphasizes better-paid and better-motivated anti-poaching patrols has been a marked success.

Rwandans themselves recognize the continued importance of anti-poaching patrols to the preservation of the gorilla.