Top 10 facts about mountain gorillas

1. Around 1,063 exist in the wild

There are two gorilla species in the world: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla. The mountain gorilla is a subspecies of the eastern gorilla.

Mountain gorillas are endangered – there are an estimated 1,063 in the wild according to the latest census results (which come out every 5-10 years).

2. They live in two isolated groups

Mountain gorillas live in east-central Africa in just two isolated groups – one in the Virunga Volcanoes (a region spanning 3 national parks in Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)) and one in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, which connects to Sarambwe Nature Reserve, DRC.

They’re found in high altitude montane and bamboo forests, which are surrounded by agriculture and settlements.

4. They’re one of the biggest, most powerful living primates

An average silverback gorilla can weigh up to 180kg (that’s almost 30 stone), and measure 170cm (over 5’5”) tall on all fours. In contrast, female mountain gorillas weigh 90kg, and measure up to 150cm (4’9”).

5. They can eat all day long

Mountain gorillas spend about a quarter of their day eating, mainly plants. Around 85% of their diet is made up of leaves, shoots and stems, but gorillas can also eat larvae, snails, ants, and even roots, barks and rotting wood (a good source of sodium/salt).

6. They cozy up at night

At night, mountain gorilla groups sleep together in nests on the ground, or in trees, that they make from foliage. Infants will share their mother’s nests, staying safe and warm.

7. They have 16 different types of call

This includes short barks when they’re mildly alarmed or curious.

To intimidate rivals, male gorillas strut with stiff legs, beat their chests, and use vocalisations like roars or hoots.

8. They live in family groups

Most mountain gorillas live in stable family groups of around 10 individuals, with one dominant male and several females. Both males and females in the group care for their infants; hugging, carrying and playing with them.

When they get older, most males and around 60% of females then leave their birth group to join another troop. This helps prevent inbreeding.

9. In the wild, gorillas can live to over 40 years old

Gorillas are classed as infants until they reach around three-and-a-half years old, and adults from around 8 years.

Males between 8-12 years are called ‘blackbacks’. Then from 12 years old, they develop a silver section of hair over their back and hips, earning them the name ‘silverback’.

10. They’re under threat

The main threat to mountain gorillas is the degradation of their habitat. As the region’s population grows, the land is increasingly converted for agriculture and competition for limited natural resources leads to deforestation. With little other choice, people enter mountain gorilla forests to collect water and firewood, putting gorillas at risk from human contact and illnesses. People may also lay snares intended for bushmeat, which can accidentally injure the great apes.

Gorillas don’t just stay in their forests. They venture onto farmland to eat crops like maize and bananas, which can cause conflict with people who need to make a living.

Gorilla tourism that isn’t well managed is another potential issue, as it can impact the behaviour and health of mountain gorillas.

WWF’s work

We work through the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) – a coalition between WWF, Conservation International and Fauna & Flora International. Our mission is to conserve mountain gorillas and their habitat, working with partners and local people.

We’re helping some farmers to grow tea on the boundaries of mountain gorilla habitat as the gorillas don’t like the taste of tea, so are less likely to venture onto cropland. To deter gorillas further, we support the Human Gorilla Conflict Resolution Programme (HuGo), a group of community volunteers who can be called to redirect gorillas and other wildlife away from cropland and back into the forest.

Tourism is an important source of income for people and we’re helping to ensure that benefits are equitably shared, as well as working to minimise any negative impact of tourism on gorillas. We’re championing Gorilla Friendly™ tourism which promotes guidelines that help minimise the risk to gorillas.

By helping the local community to benefit from mountain gorilla conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources, we hope to increase local support for conservation efforts.

Finally, gorilla monitoring and surveys are an important part of the work we support through IGCP. Protected Area Authority rangers regularly patrol gorilla habitats looking for signs of illegal activities and removing snares. We’re working to further strengthen this monitoring. IGCP also works with partners to undertake mountain gorilla censuses every 5-10 years, so as to monitor population size and health.