Officials in in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have approved the boundaries of a new wildlife reserve in the eastern part of the country, encompassing a rainforest that's home to the endangered Grauer's Gorilla, also known as Eastern Lowland Gorillas.

Conservationists have been working on establishing the Itonmbwe Reserve for a decade.  Earlier this month, South Kivu provincial Governor Marcellin Cishambo Ruhoya and national parks chief Cosma Wilungula signed the formal agreement creating the boundaries. 

"I am very happy that my government has been willing to move quickly to formally establish this reserve since the news about Grauer's Gorilla declines in April," said Richard Tshombe of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), referring to the group's report earlier this year that warned that the species could become extinct.  "It is crucial to protect the Itombwe Massif for the gorillas and other unique species," he added.

The Grauer's Gorilla has been under enormous pressure from two civil wars in the DRC, illegal exploitation of their habitat, and hunting.  In April, the WRC released a report (.pdf link) showing how the gorilla's population went form more than 17,000 in 1998 to just 3,800 today. 

The 5,732 square kilometer Itombwe Reserve is one of the most biodiverse sites in Africa.  To date, scientists have documented 756 terrestrial vertebrates and 1,036 plant species.  But researchers have only scratched the surface of the massif, and they say it is likely many more species will be found in the future.  At least 53 globally threatened species (Critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List are found in Itombwe.

The deal to create the reserve was done with the cooperation of the local population, who are helping to determine how conservation, sustainable use, and human developmental activities can take place within the new wildlife park.