The Zaire Gorilla Conservation Project was launched in 1984 after the 1981 census of mountain gorillas in the Virungas showed how the Mountain Gorilla Project in Rwanda, in which FFPS was closely involved, had helped to swell numbers. Over the past few years the Zaire project has made encouraging progress. The 1986 census counted the highest number of gorillas since the early 1970s and some of that increase can be attributed to improved protection in Zaire. In addition, the park is benefiting from income from tourists visiting habituated gorilla groups. The project continues to extend, taking in eastern lowland gorillas and chimpanzees, as well as developing an overall education programme for the region around the park.