Mountain Gorillas

As their name implies, mountain gorillas live in forests high in the mountains, at elevations of 2,000 to 4,000 meters ASL. They have thicker and denser hair compared to other great apes, which helps them survive in a habitat where temperatures often drop below freezing. But as humans have moved more and more into their territory, the gorillas have been pushed further up into the mountains for longer periods, forcing them to endure difficult conditions.

There are about 1,063 mountain gorillas left in world. They live exclusively in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in two separate subpopulations:

• The Virunga subpopulation ranges across the Virunga Massif, which is a 440km² network of protected areas across the borders of Rwanda (Volcanoes National Park), Uganda (Mgahinga National Park) and the DRC (Virunga National Park).
• The Bwindi subpopulation is mainly restricted to the 330km² Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda, adjoining with DRC’s Sarambwe Nature Reserve.

Mountain gorillas are found in 4 national parks, thus;  Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Uganda), Volcano National Park (Rwanda) commonly known as PNV, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (Uganda), and Virunga National Park – Southern Sector (Democratic Republic of Congo).

Mountain Gorillas are the largest of the great primates and are the most endangered species. We believe it is critical to ensure the health and well-being of every individual possible. More than half of the population is recorded in (Bwindi Impenetrable forest).