Censuses

To achieve information on distribution, density and population size of gorillas, inventories are conducted periodically and sometimes cover vast areas.


Gorillas, Chimpanzees and Forest Elephants Thrive in the Rio Campo Nature Reserve

Protected areas aim to conserve wildlife - particularly large, charismatic species like gorillas - while benefiting local communities. But in tropical…

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The Kansere-Masakaru-Iyuma Forests in Utunda-Nord

The Kansere-Masakaru-Iyuma forests are located between the Usala Gorilla Reserve (RGU) and the Kisimba-Ikobo Primate Reserve (RPKI), in the vicinity…

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Mountain Gorilla Population Growth

New research from the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund analyses more than 50 years of demographic data to examine factors influencing variability in the…

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Distribution and Habitat Use of Gorillas in the Ebo Forest

Although gorilla distribution and habitat use are fairly well known for many gorilla populations in Cameroon, very little is known concerning the Ebo…

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Nkuba: a Community Reserve in Eastern D. R. Congo

In 2012, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International started a unique collaboration with local communities in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo…

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Photos of Hope from Tayna Nature Reserve

In last December’s issue of the Gorilla Journal, the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) Center was thrilled to share our…

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Great Ape Survey in Tayna Nature Reserve

In 2021, GRACE completed the first-ever great ape survey of the entire Tayna Nature Reserve, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). How…

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New Grauer's Gorilla Population Estimate

A recent paper in the American Journal of Primatology by Andrew Plumptre and colleagues examined the largest survey dataset for Grauer's gorillas Gori…

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Essential Components of the Mountain Gorilla Success Story

Over the past five years the conservation community has successfully completed what, to date, have been the most intensive and comprehensive…

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1,063 Mountain Gorillas - What Does this Number Mean?

My entire childhood was spent in the south of France, on a hill between an evergreen oak forest and the garrigue. Our family had a lot of cats, who…

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A Long-Term Monitoring Programme for Great Apes in Monte Alén National Park

Equatorial Guinea's forests maintain some of the highest levels of biodiversity in Central Africa (Sunderland 2005). Despite its small size, the…

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Mount Tshiaberimu - the Science behind the Mountain of Spirits

The northern sector of Mount Tshiaberimu is an integral part of the Virunga National Park (VNP), the west is adjacent to Lake Edward in North Kivu…

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Reactions of Wild Great Apes to Camera-trap Devices

Camera trapping has become a predominant method for wildlife monitoring (Burton et al. 2015; Steenweg et al. 2017), including primates (Gerber et al.…

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Population of Bwindi Gorillas Increases to 459 Animals

Taking into account the latest census from Bwindi-Sarambwe, and including the figures for Virunga gorillas from the 2015-2016 census, the global total…

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Gorillas on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

A recent change in the mountain gorilla listing on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species from Critically Endangered (CR) to Endangered (EN) received…

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GRASP & IUCN Great Apes Status Report 2018: Summary

Great ape populations in Africa and Asia are severely threatened by the combined impacts of habitat loss, poaching, illegal trade, and disease. Since…

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First Video Footage of the Elusive Ebo Gorillas in Cameroon

Gorillas were 'discovered' in the Ebo forest in 2002 (Morgan et al. 2003) and since then the Zoological Society of San Diego's Ebo Forest Research…

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Long-term Biomonitoring on Great Apes Using Camera Traps at Kahuzi-Biega

Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP) is home to exceptionally diverse flora and fauna and represents an important site in the Albertine Rift, one of the…

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New Population Estimate for Western Lowland Gorillas

Kamaya, Loango National Park, Gabon (© Martha Robbins)

In a paper published in the journal Science Advances, Samantha Strindberg, Fiona Maisels and 52 coauthors provide the most comprehensive assessment to…

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Number of Virunga Gorillas Increased again!

In 2015 to 2016 another gorilla census was conducted in the Virunga Volcanoes - and as the censuses before, the result was very positive again. It…

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Survey of the Cross River Gorilla at the Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary in Cameroon

In January 2014 I started to study the ecology of Cross River gorillas at the Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary (THWS) in collaboration with the local…

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Grauer’s Gorilla Population Reduced Dramatically

Grauer's gorillas are a subspecies of eastern gorillas and live in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo - an area where fighting between various…

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The Status of Grauer's Gorilla in the Usala Forest

Nkomo mountain which supports gorillas, taken from Rama village (© Stuart Nixon)

The Usala forest sits at the heart of the 30,000 km² Maiko Tayna region of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and is among the most intact,…

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Using Remote Video Camera Traps for Multi-Species Assessments in Gabon

Camera trap (© Josephine Head)

Accurate population assessments of endangered species are of great importance for determining conservation priorities and measuring the success of…

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Maiko National Park Progress Report

Maiko National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo, lies in one of the most remote forest areas in the world. It is an incredible wilderness area,…

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Getting off the "in Danger" List: Kahuzi-Biega

A poacher camp in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (© ICCN)

The Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP) has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980. Since 1997, it has been on the list of World Heritage Sites in…

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Gorillas in the Dimonika Biosphere Reserve

Approaching the Dimonika Biosphere Reserve

Designated in 1988 under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program, Dimonika Biosphere Reserve is located in the central Mayombe Mountain chain in the…

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DFGF Grauer’s Gorilla Program

[Translate to EN:] Das Biruwe-Team (©DFGFI)

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund In­ter­na­tio­nal (DFGFI) has expanded its efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to build a new Grauer’s…

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Gorilla Guardian Update

Takpe chief receiving WCS in the community (© WCS/Takamanda-Mone Landscape Project)

The Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) is Critically Endangered, with perhaps fewer than 250 individuals remaining within their range, which…

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Bwindi Gorilla Number Increased to 400

The census team working (© IGCP)

A census of the gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park conducted in 2011 confirms a minimum population of 400 gorillas, raising the world…

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Key Species Monitoring Plan for Kahuzi-Biega

Range areas of the gorilla groups (© Radar Birhashirwa Nishuli)

A monitoring plan for gorillas and elephants has just been launched in the highland sector of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP). Its pur­pose is…

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Gorillas in Deng-Deng

Location of the Deng Deng and Mbam et Djerem National Parks in Cameroon and Gorilla gorilla gorilla distribution (© Angela Meder (information: Fiona Maisels)

Deng Deng - Previous Surveys

In 1998 an environmental impact survey of a proposed oil pipeline route from Chad to Cameroon was commissioned by the…

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New Gorilla Census in Kahuzi-Biega 2010

Chimanuka and one of his offspring (© Angela Meder)

A census team led by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) in Kahuzi-Biega National…

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Situation in the Babira Bakwame Area, Kahuzi-Biega Park

Cassiterite bags ready to be shipped to Bukavu and Goma (© Isidore Kikukama Mupenda, WWF)

The Kasese region contains the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP), the Maïko National Park and various forests that are not gazetted as protected areas…

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Gorilla Census in the Virungas 2010

Augustin Basabose with an assistant during the census (© Augustin Basabose)

Recently, I spent 10 days in the field as part of a team counting mountain gorillas during a 2-month census which took place from 1st March to 25th…

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Survey in Itombwe 2006

Itombwe Massif Conservation Landscape (© Angela Meder, Adapted from a map by WCS)

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has been undertaking biological inventories in the Itombwe Massif since 1995. This area holds the largest and…

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Bwindi: Genetic Population

Map of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with the locations of gorilla groups found during the census. Stars denote lone silverbacks whereas circles represent groups. The size of the circle corresponds to group size. Each group and lone silverback is labeled with a unique identifier tag. Groups and silverbacks that were double-counted during the census are shown in bold and connected by a line. (© reprinted with permission from Elsevier)

Accurate population size estimates are an essential part of every effective management plan for conserving endangered species. Censusing rare and…

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Genetic Diversity: Cross River Gorillas

Distribution of the Cross River Gorilla (© Angela Meder, mit Informationen von Rich Bergl)

Conservation research on gorillas has, to date, mainly focused on demographic factors, human impacts, and the influence of disease. Genetic data have…

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New Gorilla Population Estimates in Northern Republic of Congo

Petunia with her son Asta while visiting Mbeli Bai (© Thomas Breuer)

On 5 August, 2008, at the XXII International Primatological Society Congress in Edinburgh, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announced the…

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The Gorillas of the Ebo Forest, Cameroon

[Translate to Englisch:] Die Berge des Ebo-Walds bei Locndeng (© Bethan Morgan)

Cameroon is an important country for both gorillas and chimpanzees. To the south of the Sanaga River, western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla…

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Equipment for Gorilla Census

[Translate to EN:] Einheimische Träger bringen die Ausrüstung für die Bestandsaufnahme in den Wald (© Pius Nkumba, WCS TMLP)

For their patrols in the Sarambwe Reserve during one year the rangers were provided with food rations.

Related News:
<link en journal issues journal-no-38 external-link-new-window>Additional Support when the Going…

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Inventory of Kahuzi-Biega 2006

News from Kahuzi-Biega 2007

Presence of Great Apes in Bas-Congo

Gorillas in Maiko South

Update on Nigeria: WCS's Work

Post-Conflict Inventory of Kahuzi-Biega

The Gorillas of the Ebo Forest

Virunga Gorilla Census 2003

Gorillas Frequenting the Mongambe Bais