How Many Mountain Gorillas Are Left? Census Numbers and Status

Written by the Paramount Gorilla Expeditions guiding team · Last updated 31 October 2026

How many mountain gorillas are left? The last full census figures give a total of 1,063 mountain gorillas: 459 in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda and 604 in the Virunga Massif, which spans Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is one of the few large mammals whose numbers have risen in recent decades, and the IUCN moved it from Critically Endangered to Endangered in 2018. This guide explains where the numbers come from, how they have changed, why they rose, what still threatens the animals and what the figures mean for anyone planning to trek gorillas in Uganda or Rwanda. People also search for the same topic as mountain gorilla population, how many gorillas are left in the world, how many gorillas are in Bwindi, mountain gorilla numbers 2026 and are mountain gorillas endangered.

Quick answer

How many mountain gorillas are left in the world? About 1,063, based on the 2018 census totals: 459 in Bwindi and 604 in the Virunga Massif. Mountain gorillas live in only two places, Bwindi and the Virunga Massif, and nowhere else on Earth. The population has grown since the 2010 Virunga count of 480, and the IUCN lists the subspecies as Endangered (since 2018). Some websites quote higher figures for 2025 or 2026, but we could not find a new census total published by an official body, so this page uses 2018 as the last count we can cite and says so wherever a newer figure may exist.

Mountain gorillas at a glance

Chapter 01 — How many mountain gorillas are left?

The honest answer is "slightly over a thousand". The most recent set of census figures that are widely documented gives 459 gorillas in Bwindi, counted in 2018, and 604 in the Virunga Massif, counted in the 2015 to 2016 survey, for a total of 1,063. Because the two censuses were run in different years, the total is a combined figure, not a single-year snapshot, and it is the figure most conservation bodies still quote.

Several websites and travel pages quote a figure of about 1,100 or more for 2025 or 2026, and some describe a new census. We could not find that figure published by an official body (the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the Rwanda Development Board, the Congolese park authority or the transboundary programme that coordinates the censuses). Until one of them publishes a new total, treat any figure above 1,063 as an estimate or projection rather than a count, and check the current figure with the authorities or with us before you quote it.

Chapter 02 — Who are the mountain gorillas?

The mountain gorilla is the eastern gorilla subspecies that lives in cool, high forest. It has a thicker, longer coat than its lowland cousins, which suits the cold at altitude. Adult males, called silverbacks after the saddle of silver hair that appears with age, are far larger than females and can weigh well over 150 kg, while females are about half that. Gorillas eat mostly leaves, stems, shoots and fruit, and they build a fresh nest of vegetation each night.

A group is a family. It is led by a dominant silverback, with several females, their young and sometimes younger males. Gestation is about eight and a half months, a female usually has one infant, and the interval between births is long, around four years. This is the arithmetic behind the whole story: a gorilla population can only grow slowly, and it can shrink quickly. A gorilla may live for 35 to 40 years in the wild, and many of the animals counted in the census are known to rangers and trackers by name.

Chapter 03 — How the count works

Mountain gorillas live in dense forest, so no one can count them from the air. Census teams walk the forest in organised sweeps, finding nest sites where gorillas slept and collecting dung samples. The teams count nests, estimate group sizes and use DNA from the dung to identify individuals, which avoids counting the same animal twice. The 2018 Bwindi census was run by the protected-area authorities of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo under their transboundary collaboration, with Rwanda's authority as a partner, and it was done in two sweeps, one from March to May and one from October to December 2018.

Censuses are expensive and slow, which is why they are run only every few years. Between them, habituated groups are monitored daily by trackers and researchers, who know every animal in the group by name, which gives more detailed data than any census can.

Chapter 04 — The numbers over time

For the Virunga population, a 2010 statement from the park authority gave a rise of 26.3 per cent over seven years, an average growth rate of about 3.7 per cent a year. The Bwindi population grew by about 6 per cent between 2002 and the 2006 census, and about 12 per cent from 1997. Counts have been revised over time as methods have improved, so older figures should be compared with care.

Chapter 05 — Two populations: Bwindi and the Virunga Massif

All wild mountain gorillas live in two separate forest blocks.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda. An ancient, mountainous forest in south-western Uganda with 459 gorillas in the 2018 census. Bwindi has habituated groups in several sectors for tourism. See our Bwindi sector guide.

The Virunga Massif. A chain of volcanoes on the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with 604 gorillas in the 2015 to 2016 census. It includes Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in Congo. See our Mgahinga guide and Volcanoes National Park guide.

The two blocks are separated by farmland and are not connected, which is a risk in itself: each is a small, isolated population.

Chapter 06 — Why the numbers rose

The recovery is not an accident, and it is the result of long, patient work.

• Armed protection. Rangers and anti-poaching patrols guard the forests and remove snares.
• Veterinary care. Habituated gorillas receive treatment for snare injuries, respiratory disease and other life-threatening conditions.
• Tourism revenue. Permit fees pay for protection and give local communities a stake in the gorillas' survival.
• Community programmes. Revenue sharing and local jobs reduce the incentive to harm the forest.
• Daily monitoring. Trackers and researchers know each habituated group, so problems are found early.

This is why gorilla trekking is not only an experience but also a conservation mechanism. See our how to book gorilla permits guide for how the permit system works.

Chapter 07 — IUCN status: Endangered, not safe

In 2018 the IUCN moved the mountain gorilla from Critically Endangered to Endangered. This is a milestone, but it is not a sign that the animal is safe. Endangered is still a high level of risk, and with a total near 1,000 the population is small enough that a single disease outbreak or a political shock could cause serious losses.

The picture for other gorillas is worse. The western lowland gorilla, Grauer's gorilla (the eastern lowland gorilla) and the Cross River gorilla are all listed as Critically Endangered, so the mountain gorilla is the exception, not the rule.

Chapter 08 — What still threatens mountain gorillas

• Respiratory disease. Infectious diseases, mainly respiratory, are a major cause of sudden deaths. Gorillas and humans share many germs, and some researchers estimate that disease causes about 20 per cent of sudden deaths. This is why health rules for visitors are strict.
• Snares and poaching. Snares set for other animals injure and kill gorillas, and rangers remove large numbers of snares each year.
• Habitat loss. Farmland presses against the forests, and Bwindi and the Virunga volcanoes are islands of forest in densely settled country.
• Conflict and unrest. The Virunga region has seen armed conflict, which makes protection harder.
• Climate and food. Changes in climate may affect the plants that gorillas eat.
• Inbreeding. Small, isolated populations lose genetic variety, and studies have found that a large share of the mountain gorilla genome is inbred.

For more on how the park authorities manage visitors, see our gorilla trekking day: what happens guide.

Chapter 09 — Why a small population is fragile

A population of about 1,000 can look comfortable, but its biology makes it fragile. Three reasons stand out.

Slow breeding. With one infant roughly every four years, even a healthy female raises only a few young in her lifetime. A loss of adult females has a long-lasting effect.

Isolation. Bwindi and the Virunga Massif are separate forest blocks, so the two populations cannot swap members. Within each block, animals can only breed with the groups nearby, which raises the risk of inbreeding.

One shock can be big. A respiratory outbreak that passes through a group, a spike in snaring or a period of armed conflict can all remove many animals quickly, and with a small total the effect is large in percentage terms.

For these reasons, conservationists do not talk about the mountain gorilla as "recovered". They talk about a population that is growing and that must be protected for decades more. A growth rate of a few per cent a year, such as the 3.7 per cent a year recorded for Virunga to 2010, is a good sign, but it takes a long time for a small population to build a safe margin.

Chapter 10 — What a trek is like

A gorilla trek begins with a briefing at park headquarters, where guests are allocated to a habituated group. Trackers who have already located the group that morning lead the way, often through steep, muddy forest, and the walk can take from under an hour to most of a day. When the group is found, you leave your bags, keep your distance and stay for one hour. The animals go on feeding, grooming and playing, and silverbacks and infants often steal the show. Our gorilla trekking day: what happens guide describes the whole day, and our fitness guide explains what level you need.

Chapter 11 — Tourism, permits and responsible trekking

Tourism is both an income and a risk, and the rules reflect that. Groups are small, the visit lasts one hour, and visitors must keep a distance from the gorillas and not trek if they are ill. Rules on masks and distance can change, so follow the current instructions of the park and your guide.

To trek responsibly:

• Book through a licensed operator. In Uganda, foreign non-resident permits can only be booked through licensed tour operators.
• Do not trek if you are unwell, even with a mild cold. Tell your guide.
• Follow the distance and mask rules every time.
• Do not touch or feed the gorillas, and do not eat in their presence.
• Stay in your group and follow the trackers.
• Report any illness you develop after a trek.

Our guides to gorilla permit costs in Uganda and Rwanda, gorilla trekking fitness and the best time to see gorillas in Uganda cover the planning side.

Chapter 12 — Where to see mountain gorillas

Mountain gorillas can only be seen on a guided trek. The choice of park depends on your budget, fitness, dates and the rest of your trip.

See our hubs for gorilla trekking in Uganda, gorilla trekking in Rwanda and gorilla permits, and compare the two countries in our Uganda vs Rwanda guide. Our tours include the classic gorilla trekking safari, the 3-day Rwanda gorilla express and the Uganda and Rwanda double gorilla safari.

Chimpanzees can also be trekked in East Africa, and our Kibale chimpanzee trekking and Mahale and Gombe guides cover the options.

Chapter 13 — What the numbers mean for a traveller

A population of about 1,000 is small, so every group matters. For a visitor, three things follow. First, a permit is a contribution to the animal's protection, not only a ticket. Second, the health rules are real, because a visitor who carries a cold into a group of gorillas puts the whole population at risk. Third, gorillas are not "saved", and a trip that follows the rules is part of keeping them safe.

Chapter 14 — Mountain gorilla myths and mistakes

• "Mountain gorillas are about to go extinct." The population has grown, and the status moved from Critically Endangered to Endangered in 2018, but the species remains at risk.
• "1,000 is plenty." It is a very small population for a large mammal.
• "All gorillas are mountain gorillas." There are several gorilla types, and most are Critically Endangered.
• "Gorillas are aggressive." Habituated groups are calm with visitors who follow the rules.
• "There are mountain gorillas in zoos." There are none, because mountain gorillas do not survive in captivity.
• "The total is exactly 1,063 today." It is the last census total, and the true number is probably a little different.

Chapter 15 — How to help, step by step

1. Choose a licensed operator and book a permit through them.
2. Stay healthy before you travel, and do not trek if you are unwell.
3. Follow the rules on distance, group size and masks.
4. Stay with the trackers and listen to your guide.
5. Support local communities by staying in community-owned lodges and buying local crafts. See our responsible and sustainable safari travel guide.
6. Spread the word about the real numbers, not the myths.
7. Plan with us: see our first-time safari planning guide and when to book safari and gorilla permits.

Chapter 16 — Mountain gorillas for kids

Our verdict

The mountain gorilla is a conservation success that is still fragile. About 1,063 animals in two small forests is a number to be proud of and a number to protect. A gorilla trek is one of the few travel experiences that directly supports the animals it shows you, and it works best when visitors follow the rules. If you want to see them, tell us your dates and who is travelling, and we will build the route around the permits and the park that suit you.