Gorilla Tactics: How to Save a Species

Gorillas are among the most recognizable of the large charismatic mammals, but climate change and poaching has brought them to the brink of extinction. Greg Cummings was the executive director of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund for seventeen years. He shares his fascinating experiences as a "wildlife Robin Hood"-raising money from the rich and famous and redistributing it to endangered gorillas and their habitats. He met and enlisted the help of celebrities such as Sigourney Weaver, Arthur C. Clark, Douglas Adams, and Leonardo DiCaprio. This thirty-year worldwide journey moves from boardrooms in Manhattan and London to mountain treks in Rwanda and Congo. Gorilla Tactics is sure to enchant readers with Greg's unique experiences, while sharing insight into the work it takes to save a species from extinction.

Table of Contents:
1. April 11, 1994 2. A New Career 3. Monkey Business 4. Into Africa 5. Creating a Conservation Culture 6. Mission to Planet Earth 7. Gorillas from Space 8. Virtual Africa Office 9. Congo 10. A Once-and-for-All Fund 11. WTF? 12. Our DNA 13. In Too Deep 14. Campaign for Gorilla-Friendly Technology 15. Digging in the Dirt 16. Save the Gorilla 17. No One Loved Gorillas More 18. A Burnt-Out Career 19. Legacy

About the Author :
Greg Cummings has been featured in international publications such as the Guardian, Ecologist, and Sea Angler. In 2006 his organization was awarded the BBC Animal Award for best wildlife conservation program. A fundraiser since 1990, Cummings has raised money in America, Britain, France, Holland, Italy, and Canada for causes ranging from wildlife conservation to mental health. As director of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund UK, he set up dozens of innovative, grassroots projects in troubled parts of the world-many of which are self-sustaining to this day. His global perspective has given him an eye for where the next crisis might arise, and how to thwart it. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

Review :
“Gorilla Tactics is an important contribution to understanding what really goes on both with collecting the funds for so-called ‘conservation’ projects, and the greed and power struggles within and between various agencies. It gets to the heart of what is really meant by conservation management, for humanity as well as rare species.” —Dr. Alan Goodall, first director of Karisoke Research Station, 1987–1989 “Greg Cummings is so like a gorilla. He is a rare being with a palpable wildness, an intimidating strength, and a soulful compassion. All of these qualities along with his fierce convictions are embodied in this wildly entertaining, fascinating, and inspirational memoir.” —Daryl Hannah, actor and environmental activist  “Gorilla Tactics is the remarkable journey of an inveterate hustler, moving from the universe of Arthur C. Clarke to the volcanoes of Virunga. Greg Cummings pursues the very rich and the very famous, always for one single goal, his passion and raison d’être, the survival of the gorilla. This is an extraordinary account of an extraordinary life.” —Peter Gabriel, musician “Trekking gorillas with Cummings is an enlightening experience. His skill as a conservationist and knowledge of Africa, and of what works and doesn’t work, are a boon to the cause.” —Tony Robbins, author and global entrepreneur