Learn about the endangered gorillas, conservation and tourism in Africa.
Welcome to EndangeredGorillas.com, a website dedicated to educating the world about the endangered gorillas of Africa. On this portal find all the information you need to know about gorillas, their habitats, how they live, myths and facts on gorillas etc. This publication also summarizes the current knowledge on all gorilla subspecies and the most urgent conservation needs. It contains an overview and in-depth chapters for each of the species, featuring scientific information on their ecology, distribution and conservation needs as well as comprehensive reference lists.
Looking for general information about gorillas? Our frequently asked questions summarizes all the information that you need to know about gorillas, places where gorillas are found, characteristics and behavior, gorilla habitats, gorilla tourism and conservation status etc.
Why Gorillas Are Endangered
Conservation Status – Did you know that all gorilla species are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)?
Are Gorillas Apes? – Many people do not know what apes are! A simple key to knowing which animals are apes is to know that apes do not have tails.
Gorilla Facts & Information
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There are 4 widely recognized gorilla subspecies two species, the Eastern and Western Gorilla. Read More
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All you need to know about gorillas; habitat, population and distribution, social behavior, physical description and more. Read More
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Gorillas have been a flagship species for over 50 years. Here is the conservation status of all gorillas.Read More
Where Do Endangered Gorillas Live
Where are gorillas found?
What are the best places where to see gorillas?
What is the best time to visit gorillas in Uganda
What is the best time to see gorillas In Rwanda
What is the best lens For photographing gorillas
The endangered mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) are never and will never will be found in any zoo in the whole world as they can’t survive while caged. These apes can only be seen in Africa; Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. There are approximately 900 mountain gorillas remaining in the world (according to 2015 Gorilla Census). Close to half of them are living in the verdant Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and another half in the Virunga Region ( composed of Virunga National Park (Congo), Volcanoes National Park (Rwanda) and Mgahinga Gorilla Park (Uganda). Though these great apes are highly protected most especially in Uganda and Rwanda, several problems are still threatening their existence.
Get to Know About Gorillas
Gorillas are the largest members of the primate family. Classified as apes, gorillas are closely related to humans, sharing 98% of their DNA. That is why they are always referred to as “our distant cousins”. Indeed gorillas are identical to humans and can be infested with some human diseases. Gorillas inhabit the tropical rain forests of central Africa and they are found in only 10 countries in the world; Rwanda, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Brazzaville, Angola, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria and Cameroon. Historically the gorilla has been portrayed as a vicious killer; however they are shy gentle creatures that would not attack humans unless provoked.
Gorillas are classified as mammals and are warm blooded. Upon their discovery, gorillas were classified as one species, however they are now classified into two species; Western Gorillas and Eastern Gorilla. There are four sub species and these species are found in different geographical locations and have different physical characteristics.
Are Gorillas Endangered?
Many experts are warning that without urgent action gorillas will become extinct in the wild within the next few decades. All the four sub species of gorillas are listed as endangered by the IUCN and a lot of measures have been put in place to protect the them from extinction. Three of the four gorilla species are listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, putting them at risk of extinction.
Gorilla populations have been affected by habitat loss, disease and poaching. Conservation efforts persist and several governmental and non governmental organizations named 2009 the ‘Year of the Gorilla’ with the aim of working together to further improve gorilla conservation.
The populations of the Mountain Gorilla in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Uganda and the Cross River Gorilla in Cameroon and Nigeria number only 700 and 300 individuals respectively. The Eastern Lowland Gorilla population in the DRC has plummeted dramatically over the last 10 years, with probably only about 5,000 of the formerly 17,000 animals remaining. The most numerous subspecies, the Western Lowland Gorilla which occurs in Angola, Central African Republic, Cameroon, DRC, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of Congo, number perhaps as many as more than 200,000 animals. Nevertheless these populations remain threatened on several fronts.
How To Save Endangered Gorillas
What You Can Do to Help
Despite the dedicated efforts of many individuals and organizations, great apes are on the very edge of extinction. The endangered great apes share their habitat with millions of people in west, central and east Africa and in Southeast Asia. The overall immediate challenge today is to lift the threat of imminent extinction of gorillas and, beyond that, to conserve in their natural habitats wherever they exist, wild populations of all species and subspecies and to make sure that, where they interact with people, those interactions are mutually positive and sustainable.
To help conserve the gorillas, you can make donations to the International Gorilla Conservation Program, the Gorilla Fund International, set up by conservationist Dian Fossey or take a gorilla trek with one of the local tour operators in Africa. Proceeds from gorilla tourism are used in protecting the gorillas, and support the local communities that live near the parks.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are Gorillas Dangerous?
- Are gorillas dangerous animals?
- What do gorillas eat? Are they herbivores? Can gorillas eat meat?
- Where do gorillas live?
- Do gorillas have predators?