Species profile
Gorilla beringei
Mountain gorilla
This is a curated published estimate, not a live census. Estimates may refer to mature individuals, wild individuals or a documented range and are not directly comparable between species.
EN · Endangered — Endangered — very high risk of extinction in the wild
About this species
The eastern gorilla includes the mountain gorilla and Grauer’s gorilla, two great-ape populations confined to Central Africa. These gorillas live in stable social groups and mature slowly, so every breeding adult has unusual demographic importance. Their survival is closely connected to the condition of a small number of forest landscapes shared with dense and often vulnerable human communities.
Habitat, behaviour and ecological role
Groups are generally led by a mature silverback and include females, young animals and sometimes additional males. Gorillas eat leaves, stems, fruit and bark, with diet varying by altitude and season. By moving through the forest and dispersing seeds they help shape vegetation, while their social behaviour and long period of infant care resemble a slow life history poorly suited to rapid recovery.
Why this species is at risk
Habitat conversion, illegal hunting, snares set for other wildlife, civil insecurity and disease all contribute to risk. Close genetic relatedness to humans makes gorillas susceptible to respiratory infections. Tourism can fund protection but also requires strict distance and health rules, because apparently minor human illness may have serious consequences for an isolated group.
Conservation outlook
Conservation depends on trained ranger teams, veterinary response, protected habitat and cooperation with communities living near the forest. Revenue sharing and livelihoods that reduce pressure on park resources can reinforce enforcement. Population gains in one mountain-gorilla area are encouraging, but they do not erase the severe decline and insecurity affecting the species as a whole.
Editorial review: 2026-08-21
Threat factors
Known occurrences
Dots are georeferenced occurrence records from OBIS (marine) and GBIF (global), not individual animals and not a complete range map. Up to 500 recent API results are cached; the profile renders at most 500 points.
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Listen to this species
Musanze, Northern Province · 3:06 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/