Mountain gorillas live in forests high in the mountains, at elevations of 2,000 to 4,000 meters. They have thicker and denser hair compared to other great apes, which helps them survive in a habitat where temperatures often drop below freezing. But as humans have moved more and more into their territory, the gorillas have been pushed farther up into the mountains for longer periods, forcing them to endure dangerous and sometimes deadly conditions.
Habituated Mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park
Virunga National Park is home to around a third of those gorillas of the global gorilla population which reside in the dense forests on the lush slopes of the Virunga volcanoes. The world population of mountain gorillas is currently estimated to be at around 1000 individuals.
As of now, there are eight habituated Gorilla groups in Congo that opened for tourism in Virunga National Park. The groups are: Kabirizi, Humba, Rugendo, Mapuwa, Lulengo, Munyaga, Nyakamwe, and Bageni. Each group has got a unique story to tell. We shall now tell you more about the groups.
Despite years of civil unrest in the region where mountain gorillas live, conservation efforts have found less success with the research on Wild Mountain gorillas our reliable sources from Virunga shows there might be a tremendous number of wild mountain gorillas not known due to limited access to some parts of the forest. Findings show populations in the Virunga Massif have grown to 604 individuals, up from 480 individuals in 2010. This puts the total global wild gorilla population over 1,000 individuals.