1 Tahrcountry Musings: Rise in Population of Endangered Mountain gorillas – Spin off from transboundary cooperation

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Rise in Population of Endangered Mountain gorillas – Spin off from transboundary cooperation

Conservationists are elated by news emanating from Virunga Massif. A census carried out in the Virunga Massif, where most of the world's mountain gorillas live has come up with a figure of 480 individuals living in 36 groups.

The population has increased by over 25% in the last seven years.  This is satisfactory against backdrop of scenario in Africa. Collaborative transboundary effort by organisations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda has acted as a primer. The mountain gorilla is the only one of the nine subspecies of African great apes experiencing a population increase.  

30 years ago, only 250 gorillas survived in Virunga. 302 mountain gorillas are living in Bwindi. Thus the total population works out to 780 now.

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