Mikeno means "poor" and is so named for its harsh slopes which preclude human habitation.

[4] Mount Mikeno lies completely within Virunga National Park and is known for the critically endangered mountain gorillas that live on its slopes.

[5] Expeditions to observe Mikeno's gorillas typically leave from the nearby Bukima Patrol Post.

[6] Mount Mikeno is the type locality of the yellow-crested helmetshrike Prionops alberti.

Fossey, Dian (1983), Gorillas in the Mist, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, ISBN 0-618-08360-X