The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is one of two subspecies of eastern gorilla and lives exclusively in two isolated highland forest regions of central Africa: the Virunga volcanic mountains, which span Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda. Adult males, known as silverbacks, can weigh over 200 kilograms and lead stable family groups that typically range from five to thirty individuals. As large-bodied herbivores, mountain gorillas shape forest structure through their feeding and movement patterns, dispersing seeds and opening up vegetation in ways that support broader plant and animal diversity.
The mountain gorilla's recovery is one of the few genuine success stories in large-mammal conservation: the global population has grown to over 1,000 individuals according to the most recent census data, a number significant enough that the IUCN downlisted the subspecies from Critically Endangered to Endangered in 2018. That progress, however, remains fragile. Habitat loss driven by agricultural encroachment, political instability and armed conflict in the Virunga region, disease transmission from humans, and poaching all continue to pressure a population that occupies a total range of less than 800 square kilometers. The gorillas' slow reproductive rate, with females typically giving birth to a single offspring every four or more years, means any population setback takes decades to reverse.
No projects have listed this species yet. If you run a project that protects the Mountain Gorilla, you can add it to Wildlife Connect.
