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Mountain gorilla youngster rests on silverback
photo: WWF-Canon /
Martin HARVEY |
Mountain gorillas, with a current population of just more than 700, have been intensely monitored since the 1950s. This subspecies of the eastern gorilla is perhaps the most well-known gorilla, thanks to Dian Fossey's study of them in the 1960s and '70s. They are separated into two populations: one ranges across the Virunga range of volcanic mountains on the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda and the second lives in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Mountain gorillas first became known to science in October 1902, and since then have had to endure uncontrolled hunting, war, disease, destruction of forest habitat and capture for the illegal pet trade. These threats led to a dramatic decline in population numbers, and fear for their survival initiated dedicated conservation efforts that are now paying off. Constant vigilance is needed to protect these primates from poachers' snares and human encroachment into protected areas. These efforts have resulted in signs of slight population increases since the late 1980s. Considered critically endangered, there are no mountain gorillas in captivity.
Population Estimates and Distribution
Population: No less than 700
Distribution: Virunga range of volcanoes on Uganda-Rwanda-DRC border and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda
Read the history of the mountain gorilla timeline
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