Mountain Gorilla Population Chart By Country (Updated 2025)

How many mountain gorillas are left in the world?

Mountain Gorilla Population Chart By Country (Updated 2025). 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 16^th 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.

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.

Rwanda’s mountain Gorilla population has grown steadily in recent decades

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.

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.

Best Gorilla Trekking Safari Packages

Plan to have a Gorilla safari either on a short or long trip tailored with other activities. Here are our well-planned itineraries that you can choose from and as well tailor to a Kenya safari or Tanzania wildlife safari.

1 Day Gorilla Trekking Uganda

This is a day gorilla trekking in Uganda that sets off from either Kabale or Kisoro, two towns that lay on the scenic outskirts of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. The price of the gorilla tour, which includes one gorilla permit at $600 per person, will be factored in. Established in 1993, this national park has 33 square kilometers of land. Habinyanja, Mubare, Nkuringo, and Rusengura are only some of the four habituated gorilla groups found there. In addition, the park is home to 12 different gorilla families that can be visited by visitors.

1 Day Gorilla Trek Rwanda

For a 1 day gorilla trek in Rwanda that begins and ends in Kigali, you’ll need to be up at 4 a.m. to make the 2-hour journey to Volcanoes National Park in time for the gorilla trip briefing. A gorilla permit is required to spend the pricey but unforgettable hour in the company of the endangered mountain gorillas. The mountain gorillas like to live in a bamboo forest, but getting there is difficult due to the high altitude, the dense vegetation, the slick underfoot conditions after it rains, and the steep hills.

2 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Tour from Kigali

Book our 2 Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking Tour Package to experience the excitement of a Mountain Gorilla encounter. The tour begins and concludes in Kigali, Rwanda for international visitors, and in Kisoro or Kabale, Uganda, for those already in the country. The 2 Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking Tour is the finest gorilla trekking safari packages if you are short on time or money but still want to trek mountain gorillas.

2 Days Gorilla Trekking Rwanda

Beginning in Kigali, the two-day Gorilla Trekking Rwanda Tour travels to Volcanoes National Park and returning for a city sightseeing day. There will be plenty of time on this safari to undertake gorilla trekking in the misty forests and valleys. This safari is unlike any other since not only will you get to see mountain gorillas in their natural habitats, but you will also get to see the Twin lakes (Burera & Ruhundo) and the Genocide memorial site.

3 Days Gorilla Trekking Uganda

On this three-day Uganda Gorilla safari, you’ll see Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to mountain gorillas and one of the world’s oldest forests at over 25,000 years old and covering an area of 321 square kilometers. One of the 12 habituated mountain gorilla groups will be available for your trekking pleasure. Those interested in hiking will enjoy the two to eight hours spent trekking for gorillas as they traverse undulating hills and thick flora.

3 Days Gorilla Trekking Rwanda

Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, is where you’ll begin and complete your three-day gorilla safari. Gorilla trekking is included, and the cost of a permit is $1,500 per person. Over 400 mountain gorillas call Volcanoes National Park, where you will go gorilla tracking, home.