Number of Virunga Gorillas Increased
According to monitoring data from the International Gorilla Conservation
Programme and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, the number of the
Virunga gorillas increased from 320 to 359 individuals since the last
census in 1989. The population has been slowly increasing, despite the
war and conflict in the region, and the enormous threats on the habitat.
Civil unrest, armed conflict and genocide have plagued the Great Lakes
region for the last 10 years. The Virunga volcanoes range has been in
the centre of the fighting and the instability in the region. This forest,
straddling the borders between Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic
of Congo, has been repeatedly used by various armed groups as a transit
corridor and a rear base for their military activities. Over the years,
thousands of civilians have sought refuge in the Virungas, and many of
them remained in the volcanic forest for long periods of time, relying
on hunting for bush meat and small scale farming for their survival. About
15 gorillas are known to have been killed as a direct consequence of this
war. Military and militia movements through the forest have certainly
affected many of them, and have had a negative impact on the habitat as
a whole.
From the daily monitoring of the research and tourism gorilla groups,
and the sightings of wild groups, it appears that the current population
stands at a minimum of 359 known gorillas. This figure is most likely
an underestimate, with more individuals to be counted, and it represents
a significant increase from the 1989 census. This can be directly traced
to the sheer dedication of field staff operating on the ground. Park rangers
and trackers, many of whom have been killed or wounded while on duty in
Rwanda and Congo, have been patrolling the forest continuously throughout
the years of civil unrest. This dedicated work has limited the damage
to the habitat and the population of gorillas.
Summary of a press release by the International Gorilla Conservation Programme
Development of gorilla numbers on the Virunga Volcanoes