The difference between mountain gorillas and lowland gorillas starts with the map. Gorillas belong to two species and four subspecies: the eastern gorilla, which includes the mountain gorilla and Grauer's gorilla, and the western gorilla, which includes the western lowland gorilla and the Cross River gorilla. Mountain gorillas have longer, thicker coats and live high on volcanic slopes and in Bwindi's montane forest, while western lowland gorillas have shorter grey-brown coats and live in the lowland swamps and forests of west and central Africa. This guide is written on 14 November 2026. It explains how each kind looks, where it lives, what it eats, how many are left, what threatens it and where a traveller can actually see it. People search for it as lowland gorilla versus mountain gorilla, difference between mountain and lowland gorillas, types of gorillas, gorilla subspecies, eastern versus western gorilla, western lowland gorilla, eastern lowland gorilla, Grauer's gorilla, Cross River gorilla and mountain gorilla facts.
Quick answer
There are four kinds of gorilla. Only mountain gorillas can be trekked in Uganda and Rwanda, Grauer's gorillas live only in eastern Congo, and the two western kinds live in west and central Africa, far from the East African safari circuit. Mountain gorillas are the smallest group, at about 1,000 animals, but their numbers have grown, and the IUCN lists them as endangered. The other three are listed as critically endangered.
If you want to meet wild gorillas on a trip with us, you will meet mountain gorillas, in Bwindi and Mgahinga in Uganda or in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Read our guides to gorilla trekking in Uganda and gorilla trekking in Rwanda to choose between them.
Lowland versus mountain gorillas at a glance
| Feature | Mountain gorilla | Grauer's (eastern lowland) gorilla | Western lowland gorilla | Cross River gorilla |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Eastern gorilla | Eastern gorilla | Western gorilla | Western gorilla |
| Scientific name | Gorilla beringei beringei | Gorilla beringei graueri | Gorilla gorilla gorilla | Gorilla gorilla diehli |
| IUCN status | Endangered (since the 2018 reassessment) | Critically endangered | Critically endangered | Critically endangered |
| Population | About 1,000 | About 3,800 in an assessment published in 2019 | About 316,000 in assessments from 2016 to 2018 | About 250 to 300 |
| Coat | Long, dark and thick | Dark, shorter than mountain | Short, grey or brown, reddish crown | Similar to western lowland |
| Habitat | Montane and bamboo forest | Eastern Congo forests at many altitudes | Lowland and swamp forest | Border forests of Nigeria and Cameroon |
| Diet | Leaves, stems and bamboo, little fruit | Leaves and pith, about a quarter fruit | Fruit, with termites, ants and aquatic plants | Small, hard, abrasive foods |
| Where tourists can see it | Uganda, Rwanda and Congo | Kahuzi-Biega in Congo | Reserves in west and central Africa | Not offered as tourism in the sources we read |
Chapter 01: How many kinds of gorilla are there?
There are two species and four subspecies. The western gorilla, Gorilla gorilla, has two subspecies: the western lowland gorilla and the Cross River gorilla. The eastern gorilla, Gorilla beringei, also has two: the mountain gorilla and Grauer's gorilla, which is also called the eastern lowland gorilla. The mountain gorillas themselves live in two populations: the Virunga massif, which spans Rwanda, Uganda and Congo, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.
That naming matters for a traveller, because "lowland gorilla" is used for two different animals. A western lowland gorilla, the kind seen in many zoos, lives thousands of kilometres from the mountain gorillas. An eastern lowland gorilla, or Grauer's gorilla, lives in eastern Congo, much closer to the mountain gorillas, but it is a different subspecies. Our guide to gorilla trekking in Congo explains where Grauer's gorillas can be visited.
Chapter 02: How do mountain gorillas look different from lowland gorillas?
Mountain gorillas have longer, thicker hair than the other subspecies, which helps them live in cold, misty forest at altitude. Eastern gorillas in general are darker and longer-furred, especially on the arms, and they have longer faces and broader chests than western gorillas. Grauer's gorilla is the largest of the four subspecies, and the western lowland gorilla is the smallest.
Western lowland gorillas have shorter hair that is grey or brown, often with a reddish tint on the head. The silverback, the mature male named for the silver saddle across his back, shows that patch in every kind, but it is more conspicuous in eastern gorillas, and western silverbacks have lighter hair that reaches onto the thighs.
Size figures are usually given for gorillas as a whole, not by subspecies. Adult males weigh roughly 135 to 220 kilograms and stand about 1.7 metres, and females weigh about 70 to 90 kilograms and stand about 1.5 metres. A gorilla's arms are 15 to 20 percent longer than its legs, and adult males have a bony crest on the top of the skull that anchors their jaw muscles, which gives mountain males a distinctive conical head. Cross River gorillas have a smaller skull, narrower palate and shorter hands and feet.
Chapter 03: Where does each kind live?
Mountain gorillas live in montane and bamboo forest north and east of Lake Kivu, at altitudes from about 2,200 to 4,000 metres in the Virunga volcanoes, and in Bwindi's hills. They are found only in three countries, Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and only at those two sites. Read the guides to Bwindi, Mgahinga and Volcanoes to see how the sites differ.
Grauer's gorillas live in the forests of eastern Congo, over a wide range of altitudes, from lowland forest up to high mountain slopes. Western lowland gorillas live in lowland and swamp forest up to about 1,600 metres across Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea and Angola, and the far west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Cross River gorillas live in a small area on the border of Nigeria and Cameroon.
Chapter 04: What do they eat?
Mountain gorillas eat mostly leaves, stems, pith and shoots, with little fruit, and they favour bamboo where it grows, which is why the bamboo belt of the Virunga volcanoes is such a good place to find them. Grauer's gorillas eat leaves and pith plus fruit, which makes up about a quarter of their diet, and ants. Western lowland gorillas eat much more fruit than the eastern kinds, with termites, ants and aquatic plants, and they will travel further to find ripe trees. Cross River gorillas have teeth worn in ways that suggest small, hard foods and low fruit supply.
The practical result is that mountain gorillas stay in a relatively small range, because their food is everywhere around them, while fruit-eating western gorillas roam more widely. That is one reason habituated, trekkable mountain gorilla groups are so reliable.
Chapter 05: How do they live in groups?
Gorillas live in family groups led by a silverback. Average group size is about nine for mountain gorillas, about ten for Grauer's gorillas and about eight for western lowland gorillas, although the range runs from a handful to well over twenty. Mountain gorilla groups can contain more than one silverback, and young males may stay in their natal group and later take over. In Grauer's gorillas, groups are mostly led by one male, and a son taking over has not been observed. Western lowland groups usually have one silverback, though two-silverback groups occur at some sites.
On a trek you will be led to one habituated family, which has been accustomed to people over years, and you will spend about an hour with them. Read our guides to what happens on a gorilla trekking day and the gorilla habituation experience.
Chapter 06: How many are left, and what is their status?
Mountain gorillas are the success story. They were listed as critically endangered in 1996 and were moved to endangered after the 2018 reassessment. Our guide on how many mountain gorillas are left gives the last full census, which counted 459 in Bwindi and 604 in the Virunga massif, 1,063 in all. Different sources round that to about 1,000.
The other kinds are listed as critically endangered. The western lowland gorilla was moved from endangered to critically endangered in 2008, and an assessment from 2016 to 2018 put the population at about 316,000, down from about 362,000 in 2013. Cross River gorillas are estimated at 250 to 300. Grauer's gorillas are estimated at about 3,800, a fall of about 77 percent since 1994, in an assessment published in 2019.
Expect sources to disagree. Other pages quote about 880, 1,000 or 1,004 mountain gorillas, between about 100,000 and 316,000 western lowland gorillas, and anything from under 4,000 to 17,000 Grauer's gorillas, depending on the survey date and method. When you read a figure, check the year.
Chapter 07: What threatens them?
Mountain gorillas face farming, grazing and logging at the park edge, and disease carried by people, because respiratory infections cause a share of their sudden deaths. They are not hunted for meat, but a massacre of at least ten in 2007 shows the risk from conflict. This is why trekking rules ask you to keep your distance, to wear a mask if the rangers ask and to stay away if you are unwell.
Grauer's gorillas are threatened by bushmeat hunting by miners and militia, mining for coltan and war. Western lowland gorillas are threatened by Ebola and poaching, with logging roads giving hunters access. Cross River gorillas are threatened by habitat fragmentation, hunting and their very small numbers. Our responsible and sustainable safari travel guide explains how a trek helps.
Chapter 08: Where can you actually see each kind?
Mountain gorillas can be seen in three places: Bwindi and Mgahinga in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and, when it is open, Virunga National Park in Congo. A permit is needed and group sizes are limited. Grauer's gorillas can be seen only in Kahuzi-Biega National Park, whose visitor pages say it is the only place tourists can see them, though its status needs checking. The western lowland gorilla can be seen at a few reserves in west and central Africa, which the sources we read mention for the Central African Republic, and they are not part of East African safaris. We found no tourism for Cross River gorillas.
So for most travellers, "lowland gorilla or mountain gorilla" is not a choice you make on a trip with us: East Africa offers mountain gorillas. Our Uganda versus Rwanda guide helps you pick the country, and the gorilla permit cost comparison shows the price gap. You can also read gorilla versus chimpanzee trekking if you are deciding between the two apes.
Chapter 09: Why are mountain gorillas the best choice for a first trek?
They are easy to find, reliably habituated and protected by a trekking system that funds their conservation. In Uganda and Rwanda each gorilla family is visited by a small group for one hour, rangers escort every trek and the permit fee supports the park and the neighbouring communities. The forests are steep but the walks are doable for most healthy visitors. Our fitness guide, the age limit guide and the first-time gorilla trekking guide explain what to expect.
Chapter 10: How should you choose where to see them?
If you want the most gorilla families and the widest choice of walks, choose Uganda and Bwindi. If you want the shortest road from the airport, choose Rwanda. If you want to see the Virunga gorillas from the Ugandan side, choose Mgahinga. You can combine two countries on one trip, as our combining Uganda and Rwanda guide explains. Look at the Bwindi destination page, the Volcanoes destination page, the classic gorilla trekking safari and the gorilla permits page when you are ready.
Chapter 11: Why do the numbers change between sources?
Gorilla counts are estimates, built from nest surveys, dung counts and direct censuses, and they are repeated every few years in some places and far less often in others. A mountain gorilla count can be an almost complete census, while a western lowland figure is a model built from partial surveys across a huge area. IUCN categories are reassessed periodically, which is why a page from 2005 can still say "critically endangered" for mountain gorillas that were moved to endangered in 2018. If you are writing something or citing a figure, use the year and the source with it.
Tell us your dates and group size, and we will reply within 24 hours with a written plan for a mountain gorilla trek and a quotation that shows every line separately.
Request a free quotation