In the 1980s, conservationists protected gorilla habitat across 3 countries despite poaching and disease. 46 years later, about 1,000 mountain gorillas still survive in forests

Mountain gorillas were once facing a future so uncertain that extinction by the end of the twentieth century was considered possible. Their remaining habitat is split between the Virunga Mountains and Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, with the Virunga range crossing three countries.

Decades of conservation work, habitat protection and collaboration have helped the population move in the opposite direction. Today, about 1,000 mountain gorillas remain in the wild, although the species still depends heavily on continued protection, as per a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Wildlife Fund.




For a species once feared to be heading toward extinction, the mountain gorilla's story has taken a different turn. Mountain gorillas, a subspecies of the eastern gorilla, have survived years of war, hunting, habitat destruction and disease. Their population is divided between two areas in central Africa: the Virunga Mountains, where a little more than half of the animals live, and Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

The Virunga range stretches across the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. Despite the continuing challenges in this region, conservation work has helped mountain gorilla numbers increase since the 1980s.

About 1,000 mountain gorillas now remain in the wild.

How did mountain gorillas survive?

The mountain gorilla population has faced serious pressure for decades. Since the subspecies was discovered in 1902, its habitat and survival have been threatened by hunting, war, disease and the destruction of forests.

At one point, those pressures were so severe that extinction by the end of the twentieth century was considered a possibility.

The recovery that followed has been closely connected to years of conservation work and collaboration. The International Gorilla Conservation Programme, a coalition involving WWF, Conservation International and Fauna & Flora International, has played a major role in those efforts.

WWF, together with FFI and the African Wildlife Foundation, was among the founding members of IGCP. Working alongside national and local partners, these organizations have contributed to efforts aimed at protecting mountain gorillas and maintaining the habitats they depend on.

The result has been a steady increase in the population despite continued threats.

Where do they live today?

Mountain gorillas live in forests high in the mountains, generally between 8,000 and 13,000 feet in elevation. Their thick fur, which is heavier and more abundant than that of other great apes, helps them cope with mountain conditions where temperatures can fall below freezing.

But living higher in the mountains has also brought challenges. As people have moved farther into gorilla territory, the animals have been pushed farther uphill for longer periods. That has forced them to live in increasingly difficult conditions.

Their remaining population is divided between two forest areas.

A little more than half live in the Virunga Mountains, a chain of extinct volcanoes shared by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. The rest live in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

The Virunga landscape remains particularly challenging because insecurity, poaching, disease and an expanding human population continue to put pressure on the gorillas and their habitat.

What has restoration changed?

Habitat restoration has become an important part of protecting the remaining mountain gorillas.

In Uganda's Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, restoration work has included the rehabilitation of more than 1,000 hectares. Exotic trees have been removed to give native forest species an opportunity to return.

More restoration is planned across the region.

These efforts form part of a wider conservation approach that recognizes that protecting the gorillas also means protecting the forests where they live.

The increase in mountain gorilla numbers is particularly significant because it has happened despite the difficult conditions surrounding their habitat. Their population has steadily grown since the 1980s, making them the only great apes whose population size is increasing.

The conservation work has also generated tourism revenue for protected-area authorities and surrounding communities, adding another benefit to the protection of these forests.

Why does conservation still matter?

The recovery of mountain gorillas represents a major conservation achievement, but it does not mean the species is secure.

Mountain gorillas remain endangered and dependent on continued conservation. The threats that affected them in the past have not simply disappeared.

Poaching, insecurity, disease, climate change and pressure from a growing human population continue to create challenges.

That is why habitat management and restoration remain important even as the population grows.

The story of the mountain gorilla is therefore not one of a species that has simply been saved and can now be left alone. Instead, its increasing numbers reflect what sustained protection and restoration can accomplish when conservation organizations, national authorities, local partners and communities continue working together.

About 1,000 mountain gorillas now survive in the wild, confined to two forest regions in central Africa. That number represents a steady increase from the situation faced decades ago, when extinction appeared to be a real possibility.

Their recovery shows how long-term conservation can change the direction of a species under pressure. At the same time, their continued dependence on protection makes clear that the work cannot stop.

For mountain gorillas, survival remains tied to the health and protection of their forest habitat. Continued restoration, habitat management and collaboration remain essential to keeping the gains made over decades from being lost.

FAQs

How many mountain gorillas remain?
About 1,000 live in the wild.

Where are they found?
In forests in Uganda and the Virunga Mountains.