Rwanda is home to more than half of the world’s mountain gorillas, the only gorilla subspecies found in Rwanda. They inhabit the high-altitude montane forests of the Virunga Massif, which spans Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Once facing near-extinction in the 1980s, their population has steadily increased due to decades of conservation, biodiversity restoration, and responsible tourism.
Today, there are more than 1,000 mountain gorillas globally, with over 600 in the Virunga region, the majority of which are found in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. These primates are currently classified as “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, a positive step forward from their previous “Critically Endangered” status in 2018.
Despite this progress, mountain gorillas remain at risk. The species continues to face serious threats, including human-wildlife conflict, poaching for bushmeat and their body parts, and habitat loss caused by agricultural expansion and logging, and human encroachment.
Compounding these challenges are disease outbreaks, low genetic diversity, and limited movement between fragmented populations.
Continued action and vigilance are critical, and Rwanda has mastered it.
Over decades, the country has emerged as a global leader in gorilla conservation through a model that balances ecological protection with sustainable development.
The country’s success has become a blueprint for other gorilla-range states, with strategies including:
“Rwanda’s gorilla conservation approach is one of the most successful conservation stories in Africa,” says Lee Ndayisaba, Rwanda Representative at Wild Africa. “We are making great strides, but they are not out of the woods yet. With such a critically small population, the loss of even a single gorilla could push the species closer to extinction again.”
Protecting mountain gorillas is not only about preserving a species, it’s about safeguarding Rwanda’s ecological heritage, supporting long-term economic development, and protecting ecosystems that countless other species depend on.
Gorillas play a crucial role in maintaining forest health by dispersing seeds and promoting biodiversity. As an umbrella species, their protection also ensures the survival of numerous other wildlife forms that share their habitat.
While governments and conservation organisations play a leading role, individuals and communities must act as well.
Public awareness and active participation are key. Supporting habitat protection, reducing demand for bushmeat, and advocating for sound environmental policy can all make a meaningful difference.
This World Gorilla Day, Wild Africa calls on the global community to support Rwanda’s leadership and encourage other gorilla-range countries to adopt similar conservation frameworks that put communities, ecosystems, and endangered species first.
Lee Ndayisaba, Rwanda Representative at Wild Africa, email: lee@wildafrica.org; contact number: +250 788 309 987
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Wild Africa aims to be Africa’s most effective conservation communicator, inspiring the public support and political will to protect Africa’s wildlife and wild spaces forever. We believe people and wildlife can only survive and thrive together, so we are popularising conservation with a much broader audience than has previously been engaged. By amplifying the voices of African opinion leaders from every field through a powerful network of media partners and diverse programming, we seek to promote domestic wildlife tourism, local conservation projects and the passage and effective enforcement of conservation laws. Through our communications and direct support, we also aim to deliver permanent reductions in wildlife crime, the demand for illegal bushmeat, human-wildlife conflict and habitat loss. Our network includes more than 25 national and international broadcasters, as well as radio, newspaper, billboard, PR and social media companies, who work with us pro bono to add their voices and promote conservation and environmental issues. We partner with 199+ ambassadors from music, sports, film, TV, business, religion and government from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Rwanda, Ghana, Namibia, and Somaliland.
