Mountain Gorillas

Mother and infant mountain gorilla

WCS's history of work with mountain gorillas is long and distinguished. George Shaller was the first scientist to attempt to study this species in the wild and all scientists who followed him recognize the quality of his pioneering work. In addition, Bill Weber (Director of the WCS North America program) and Amy Vedder (Vice-President and Director of the Living Landscapes program) were the first  to establish gorilla tourism in Africa as a way of providing an economic incentive to halt the destruction of the forest.

Mountain gorillas only occur in two protected sites: the Virunga Volcanoes and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (see protected areas for maps). Recently, there has been some question whether the gorillas in Bwindi are mountain gorillas or whether they should be classified as a different subspecies. This continues to be disputed by some scientists and more studies are needed to make a decision.

Silverback male

WCS has supported the monitoring of the Mountain Gorilla population in both the Virunga Volcanoes and Bwindi for many years. George Shaller estimated the population in Virunga Volcanoes to be about 450 in the late 1950s. This dropped to about 230 in the late 1970s and steadily built up to 320 in 1989. Since then, it has been impossible to census the Virunga Volcanoes because of civil war in Rwanda and DRC.

In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, WCS supported the first survey by George Shaller in 1960, followed by other surveys in the 1980s, 1997 and 2002. These showed a gradual increase in numbers from an estimate of 150 to 310.

Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation
Currently, WCS provides technical and financial support to the Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation, a research station linked to Mbarara University in Uganda which undertakes research for the Uganda Wildlife Authority in Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga National Parks. Current research projects include:

• A study of the impact of tourism on gorillas
• A study of the ecology and ranging of the gorillas
• Censuses of mountain gorillas in Bwindi and Virunga Volcanoes
• An evaluation of conservation strategies in and around the parks.
• Methods to reduce human-wildlife conflict
• Monitoring of human use of the forest
• The importance of edge effects and human impacts on forest composition.

Human land use around the Virunga Volcanoes

WCS is also supporting research projects in and around the Parc National des Volcans in Rwanda (part of the Virunga Volcanoes) to look at the extent of crop raiding and the impact of the civil war on large mammals in the park. In general, the findings show that buffalo, bushbuck and duiker numbers have declined or remained stable but are still reasonably healthy. The findings of the crop raiding study show that stone walls are the most effective barriers to crop-raiding animals where they are maintained, but most animals are coming out of gaps in the barriers which are used by local people to enter the park illegally.

In 2002 WCS worked with the International Gorilla Conservation Programme, and CARE Uganda to carry out a socioeconomic survey of the people living around Bwindi, Echuya Forest, Virunga Volcanoes and Nyungwe Forest. Understanding the behavior and needs of the people in this region is deemed as important as understanding the ecology of the gorillas because it will help conservation agencies target their resources to help local people more effectively; thereby reducing the conflict they have with the parks.