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Endangered

Responsible Gorilla Tourism: Distance, Health and Ethical Viewing
Responsible gorilla tourism follows park rules, protects health, respects local communities and never prioritizes a photograph over an animal’s welfare.

How Many Gorillas Are Left? Population Estimates by Subspecies
Short answer: There is no single, real-time count of every gorilla. The best published estimates were produced in different years with different survey methods. They indicate roughly 361,900 western lowland gorillas, fewer than 300 Cross River gorillas, about 6,800 Grauer’s gorillas and 1,063 mountain gorillas. These figures should not be treated as a precise current…

Why Mountain Gorillas Are Endangered: Threats and Recovery
Short answer: Mountain gorillas are Endangered because their entire wild population is confined to two small, isolated landscapes and remains vulnerable to disease, snares, conflict and pressure around forest boundaries. Their numbers have increased through intensive conservation, but recovery has not removed these risks. Current conservation status The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is classified…

Why Are Gorillas Endangered? Status, Threats and Conservation
Short answer: Gorillas are threatened by illegal killing, habitat loss and fragmentation, infectious disease, mining and conflict. Conservation status differs by taxon: the western and eastern gorilla species are Critically Endangered, as are western lowland, Cross River and Grauer’s gorillas; mountain gorillas are Endangered. Last fact-checked: August 2026. Status categories refer to IUCN assessments and…




