Mount Karisimbi is a dormant volcano in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda. He is with 4507 m (14,787 feet) the highest of the eight major mountains of the mountain range, which is a part of the East African Rift Valley. The name Karisimbi probably comes from isimbi, which means in Kinyaruanda little white shell and is an allusion to the white snow cap this tall volcano has sometimes. Between the Karisimbi and the Visoke is the Karisoke Research Center, which was founded by Dian Fossey in order to observe the mountain gorillas living in this area.