Census of World Mountain Gorilla Population Shows Numbers Continue to Increase
How many mountain gorillas are left in the world?
A specie once on the brink of extinction is now steadily increasing in numbers. The latest concluded census of the world mountain Gorilla population was in December 2018 with news released on the 16th of December 2019.
‘Exciting’ – The Total World Population of Mountain Gorillas as of 2019 is estimated to have increased to 1063 individuals following the 2018 census in the Bwindi forest and Sarambwe nature reserve ecosystem.
Nyakagezi Gorilla Family in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
The Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration (GVTC) through Uganda’s ministry of Tourism Wildlife and Antiquities released the results from the recent survey that documented 459 mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) in the Bwindi-Sarambwe ecosystem.
This is the largest population of mountain gorillas that has ever been recorded in these two habitats of the endangered great apes and the first to include the Sarambwe Nature Reserve.
A total of 459 Mountain Gorillas in the Bwindi- Sarambwe ecosystem combined with 604 Mountain Gorillas of the Virunga massif as of the 2016 census increased the total world population of Mountain Gorillas to 1063 individuals.
The research area covered 340 square Kilometers encompassing the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park of Uganda and the Sarambwe Nature Reserve of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
During the census, 459 individual gorillas were found in 50 groups and 13 solitary individuals.
2011 was when the Bwindi Mountain Gorilla population census was conducted before and 400 individuals were found there in 36 groups and 16 solitary individuals.
To have the process successful, the survey was conducted by the Protected Area Authorities of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo which is the Uganda Wildlife Authority as well as the Institute Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature respectively.
This was under the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration and support from donors and partners.
How the 2018 Bwindi – Sarambwe Mountain Gorilla population census was done
The Mountain gorilla survey is a process that is tiresome and full of determination. If you are wondering, how the Gorilla population census was done, here is what it looked like;
Before setting off for the survey, individuals from the three countries where Mountain Gorillas inhabit including trackers, researchers, veterinarians, and others underwent training on technical skills, collecting samples, and using GPS. They were later divided into 12 teams with 6 visiting the forest at a time.
silverback gorillas
The groups were later divided into 3 groups with each camping in different parts of the forest for two weeks walking along pre-planned routes each day to search for signs of gorillas especially nest signs and collecting fecal samples for DNA analysis that would provide clear gorilla identification.
