Mountain Gorilla Census Confirms 1,063+ Individuals — Population Growing at 3.7% Annually

New census results from Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park confirmed continued growth in the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) population. Combined with the Virunga massif across DRC, Rwanda, and Uganda, total mountain gorillas worldwide now number approximately 1,063 — up from 1,004 in the 2018 census and just 620 individuals in 1989. The census estimated an average annual population increase of approximately 3.7%, one of the fastest recovery rates of any great ape and a direct result of decades of dedicated anti-poaching, community engagement, and veterinary intervention. A concurrent first-ever chimpanzee census in Bwindi estimated approximately 426 chimpanzees sharing the same forest habitat. The IUCN continues to list the mountain gorilla as Endangered due to the small total population and ongoing threats from armed conflict in the Virunga massif, but notes the species' recovery trajectory as one of Africa's most successful large mammal conservation programs.