The population of the world’s last mountain gorillas has rebounded by 73% since 1989, allowing the subspecies to be reclassified from critically endangered — one step away from extinction — to endangered. But they remain imperiled, with about 1,063 left. They live in just one place: the Greater Virunga Landscape that straddles Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic […]
Tag: mountain gorillas
Mountain gorillas are back from the brink. But what happens if they run out of room?
It is sunrise on mount Muhabura, an inactive volcano on the Ugandan-Rwandan border, and Dr Benard Ssebide is in a rush to find a family of mountain gorillas before the tourists arrive. A mass of ferns, vines and thistles encroaches on the path, and the guides hack through brambles with machetes. Above, the forest whistles […]
Pristine Forest and Endangered Gorilla Habitat at Risk as Half of DRC Opened to Bids for Oil and Gas Drilling: Report
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is home to many species of rare and endangered wildlife, such as mountain gorillas, eastern lowland gorillas and bonobos. But the country has plans to open more than half its land — including 306 million acres of intact tropical forest and vital gorilla habitat — to oil and […]
The untold environmental toll of the DRC’s conflict
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay’s founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. The war in the Democratic Republic of Congo isn’t just killing people — it’s tearing down forests, silencing activists, and fueling an illicit trade worth millions of dollars. The resurgence of the M23 rebel group in the eastern […]
Africa’s Great Apes Are Already Feeling the Effects of Climate Change, First-of-Its-Kind Study Finds
African great apes are some of the most iconic creatures on Earth. Humans’ closest living relative, these majestic primates are becoming increasingly impacted by climate change. In the next three decades, African apes will experience more extreme events such as heat waves, wildfires and flooding, according to a new study led by Razak Kiribou, a […]
Gorillas Win vs. Poachers
Young gorillas are taking conservation matters into their own hands. Our human efforts of trying to save African animals from snares, poachers, poisonous bait, habitat destruction… the list is long… most of the time seems like a battle we can not win. But this year was different. This year there was a win for wildlife […]