Mountain gorillas are one of conservation rarest success stories, recovering from near-extinction through intensive protection, but face ongoing threats from disease, conflict, and climate change.
Mountain gorillas recovered from the brink of extinction through extraordinary conservation effort combining anti-poaching, community engagement, veterinary care, and carefully managed ecotourism. Individual gorilla welfare is closely monitored with veterinary intervention for injuries and disease. However, living in human-dominated landscapes means chronic disturbance from agricultural encroachment. Disease transmission from humans is a constant risk as they share approximately 98.3% of our DNA. Snaring injuries from traps set for other species require veterinary intervention. Climate change is altering Virunga mountain vegetation zones. The success story is real but fragile, dependent on continued political stability in DRC, Rwanda, and Uganda and ongoing conservation investment.