Endangered gorilla species recovering

A new study estimates the global population of Grauer's gorillas — the largest gorilla subspecies — and reports good news.

Population nearly doubled

Rangers, non-profit organisations, and wildlife carers working to save this endangered wildlife species are pleased.

From an earlier global estimate of 3,800 individuals, the number has nearly doubled to 6,800 individuals.

This revised estimate is based on recent surveys conducted in one of the largest remaining strongholds of this wildlife species, an area in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that had previously been inaccessible for surveys.

An earlier study from 2016 showed a decline in the gorilla population of nearly 80% since the last range-wide survey conducted in the mid-1990s.

New field surveys offer hope

The 2021 population estimate includes new field surveys in the Oku forests and suggests that the declines were not as severe as previously feared. The results also offer hope for the conservation of Grauer's gorilla, as populations in the highland sectors of Kahuzi-Biega National Park have also remained relatively stable over the past 20 years.

«It is a recognition of the courage and dedication of the Congolese biologists who participated in the study», said the study's lead author, Dr. Andrew Plumptre of BirdLife International.

«We were able to show that gorillas and chimpanzees avoid areas where people mine minerals, an activity that contributes to insecurity in the region», said Plumptre.

Forest protection as the key

The authors say that the study's findings underscore the importance of effective forest protection in the region. In 2018, three communal forest concessions covering a total area of 1,465 square kilometers were established in Oku and handed over to communal management.

More than 80% of the world's coltan deposits — used in many electronic devices — are located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is also home to much of the Grauer's gorilla's former habitat. The focus of conservation efforts must now be on supporting local management of the Oku forests in order to protect the gorillas and their habitats.