Posted on November, 14 2007

Eugène Rutagarama was recently selected as a CNN Hero for his selfless fight to protect the last endangered mountain gorillas.

Now, you can vote for Eugène to be the #1 CNN Hero and raise much needed awareness for this endangered ape.

In October, the public helped him win in his category, Defending the Planet. Now Eugène goes up against the winners in the other Heroes categories in an online Viewers’ Choice vote. The winner will be honored in a live global telecast on December 6, hosted by CNN's Anderson Cooper and Christiane Amanpour.

“This is a huge honor for me,” said Eugène. “I am grateful to know that the world cares about saving the mountain gorillas. With about 720 left in the world, it is crucial that we raise awareness about their plight.”

You can vote for Eugène online. Voting began November 12 and closes November 26.

About Eugène Rutagarama

For bravely protecting the mountain gorillas following the Rwandan genocide, Eugène received two prestigious awards: the Getty Prize for Wildlife Conservation in 1996 and the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2001.

In 2003, Eugène became the first African Director of the International Gorilla Conservation Program (IGCP) – a coalition of the African Wildlife Foundation, Fauna and Flora International and the World Wide Fund for Nature. He is internationally recognized for his mountain gorilla conservation efforts and undoubtedly a hero for the remaining mountain gorillas.

About CNN Heroes

The series showcases ordinary people who accomplish extraordinary deeds in areas ranging from the environment to civil rights. The Heroes are profiled in short videos that have been airing on various CNN channels and at CNN.com. Eugène is featured in the category "Defending the Planet."

Vote online for Eugène Rutagarama to be the #1 CNN Hero and help raise awareness about his crusade to protect the world’s last mountain gorillas.

Visit http://www.cnn.com/heroes to vote and watch the video.