War-hit Congo park turns to chocolate gorillas in conservation push

Gorilla-molded chocolates are displayed at the Virunga chocolate factory which processes dried cocoa beans from farms set up on the periphery of Virunga National Park, as part of an initiative to encourage agricultural and industrial activities in the area and thus prevent residents from engaging in logging and poaching, in the outskirts of Beni, North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo April 15, 2025. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere

BENI, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) -Threatened by armed conflict, volcanic activity and rampant deforestation, Africa's oldest national park is turning to a new product to raise its profile and boost conservation efforts: chocolate gorillas.

Virunga National Park in war-ravaged eastern Congo is marking its 100th anniversary this month by producing 25,000 handcrafted treats at a nearby chocolate factory to be sold in Europe, including Belgium, Congo's former colonial power.