Hidden high among the forested volcanoes of central Africa, the mountain gorilla was unknown to science until 1902, when two were first encountered by a German explorer -- and promptly killed.

An infant mountain gorilla was rescued from poachers in Rwanda in August 2011 with help from a partnership made up of WWF, African Wildlife Foundation and Fauna & Flora International. A group of Rwandan and Congolese men were attempting to smuggle the female, less than one-year old, into Rwanda from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The smugglers responsible were arrested and an investigation into a possible larger network is underway. The rescue is positive news, but it also brings light to the issues of illegal poaching and wildlife trade.