Mountain gorillas: recovery measured in forests, not headlines

Mountain gorillas survive in two separated forest landscapes in Central Africa: the Bwindi-Sarambwe ecosystem on the Uganda-Democratic Republic of the Congo border, and the Virunga Massif shared by Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC. The often quoted global estimate of 1,063 animals combines two different surveys: 459 in Bwindi-Sarambwe in 2018 and 604 in the Virunga Massif in 2015. It is a benchmark, not a count made this year.

A new Bwindi-Sarambwe census was conducted in 2025 alongside a chimpanzee survey. Uganda’s 2026 State of Wildlife report says the gorilla data are still being analysed. That means the 1,063 figure remains the latest combined global estimate available in this reporting window, while newer local observations should not be confused with a completed range-wide census.

How census teams count gorillas

Gorillas live in groups that move through dense vegetation, so researchers cannot reliably count them by watching from a distance. In habituated groups, teams can follow known animals. For less-habituated groups, surveys often use genetic identification from collected faecal samples, supported by nests and field signs. Repeated surveys and genetic profiles help distinguish individuals and avoid counting the same gorilla twice.

Methods have changed over time. A figure from one census is not automatically comparable with another unless survey coverage, corrections and identification methods are understood. In Bwindi, Uganda’s wildlife authority reports that the current genetic-based approach became standard after methodology changed in 2011. The 2025 survey’s samples therefore need laboratory analysis before a robust estimate can be reported.

Why the recovery is real, but incomplete

Mountain gorillas were downlisted from Critically Endangered to Endangered in 2018 after decades of growth. The increase reflects sustained patrols, veterinary response, monitoring, tourism revenue and work with communities living near protected forests. Virunga National Park’s 2025 report, for example, described 357 animals in 11 monitored groups and thousands of kilometres of patrol effort. Those figures document local work and observations, not a substitute for the pending Bwindi census.

Recovery does not mean that the landscape has become unlimited. Bwindi is an island of forest surrounded by farms and settlements. Its gorillas are concentrated in a relatively small habitat, while the human population around the park depends on land, firewood and other resources. In 2026, Uganda’s wildlife authority noted that the new census results would update the population estimate, and reporting from Bwindi has highlighted that gorilla numbers can rise while the forest boundary stays the same.

Habitat protection therefore involves people as well as boundaries. Community forestry, income from tourism, access to health and education services, and ways to meet household needs outside the park can reduce pressure on the forest. These measures do not remove every conflict, but conservation plans are more durable when nearby residents have a meaningful stake in keeping gorilla habitat intact.

Disease can cross the forest edge

Gorillas are vulnerable to respiratory infections and other pathogens, some of which can spread from humans. Habituated groups bring tourism, research and veterinary teams closer to the animals, so health protocols matter. Visitors are kept at a distance, and anyone ill should not enter a gorilla habitat. Veterinary teams also monitor injuries, snares and outbreaks that may need intervention.

The same close contact that supports monitoring creates responsibilities. A group may be easier to observe than an unhabituated one, but its apparent visibility does not make it immune to disease or stress. Tourism has helped fund protection, yet the number and conduct of visits must be managed around animal health.

What to watch after the census

When the 2025 Bwindi results are published, they should be read with their methods and coverage. A new number can show whether the local population changed since 2018, but it will not by itself explain why. Researchers need to examine births, deaths, movement, group composition and habitat conditions. The next Virunga census will also be needed before a fresh global total can combine both landscapes.

The mountain gorilla’s story is more informative than a simple “saved” or “still endangered” label. It shows that protection can reverse a decline, while also revealing the continuing work of managing a small habitat shared with people. The recovery of the crested ibis on Japan’s Noto Peninsula is a different case, but it likewise depends on tracking released animals and conditions beyond the protected site. For gorillas, the next census will update the count; coexistence will determine whether recovery can endure.