You’ve probably seen the headlines. Some say there are only a handful of these great apes left, while others celebrate a "massive" comeback. Honestly, the truth is somewhere in the middle, and it's way more interesting than a single data point.
When people ask how many mountain gorillas left in the wild, the number you’ll hear most often is 1,063.
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But here’s the thing: that number is technically a bit of a "zombie" stat. It comes from the combined results of two major sweeps—the 2016 Virunga Massif census and the 2018 Bwindi-Sarambwe census. We're now in 2026, and a lot has happened in those misty forests since those surveys were published.
The 2026 Reality Check: Are the Numbers Growing?
Actually, yes. Unlike almost every other great ape on the planet, mountain gorilla populations are on an upward swing.
Just this month, in January 2026, trackers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Virunga National Park spotted something incredibly rare: twin baby males born into the Bageni family. Since that family already has nearly 60 members, it’s basically the "megacity" of the gorilla world.
While we won't have the definitive, scientific total for 2026 until the results of the latest Bwindi-Sarambwe census (which kicked off in May 2025) are fully analyzed, experts are optimistic. Most conservationists expect the global total to have comfortably cleared the 1,100 mark by now.
Where They Actually Live
They don't live in zoos. Period. If you see a gorilla in a cage, it’s a Western Lowland gorilla. Mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) only exist in two tiny islands of green:
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- The Virunga Massif: A chain of volcanic mountains stretching across Rwanda (Volcanoes National Park), Uganda (Mgahinga), and the DRC (Virunga National Park).
- Bwindi Impenetrable Forest: A jagged, ancient forest in Uganda that looks exactly like its name suggests.
It's a small world. Basically, the entire species lives in an area about the size of a large city.
Why the Census Process is a Messy Business
You can’t just fly a drone over the canopy and count heads. These guys live under a thick blanket of broccoli-like trees and vines.
To find out how many mountain gorillas left in these forests, teams of rangers and scientists from the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration (GVTC) have to physically walk through the jungle. They look for "nests"—the beds of branches and leaves gorillas make every single night.
The Poop Science
They don't just count the beds; they collect fecal samples. I know, it sounds gross. But it's the only way to get a real count. By analyzing the DNA in the dung, scientists can tell if they’re looking at "Silverback Steve" or a new infant they’ve never met before.
This prevents double-counting and gives us a "minimum number" rather than a guess. The 2025 census currently underway is even using local genetic labs for the first time, which is a massive leap for African conservation tech.
The "Endangered" vs. "Critically Endangered" Debate
Back in 2018, the IUCN did something controversial: they moved mountain gorillas from "Critically Endangered" to just "Endangered."
Some people hated this. They worried it would make the world complacent. But the move was based on a simple fact: the population had doubled since the 1980s, when there were fewer than 300 of them left.
It’s a success story. A rare one. But "Endangered" still means they are one bad virus or one major war away from disappearing.
The Threats Nobody Talks About
We always think of poachers with guns, but that's actually not the biggest worry in 2026.
- The Common Cold: Because we share about 98% of our DNA with them, a human sniffle can be a death sentence for a gorilla.
- Snares for Antelopes: Poachers set wire traps for small deer-like animals (duikers) to eat. Gorillas accidentally step in them, and the wire cuts into their limbs, causing deadly infections.
- Climate Change: They live on mountains. As the world warms, they move higher up to stay cool. Eventually, they’ll run out of "up."
- Charcoal and Oil: In the DRC, people need fuel to survive. Sometimes that means cutting down gorilla habitat for charcoal or the looming threat of oil exploration in the park.
How to Actually Help (Without Just Sending Money)
If you really want to ensure the question of how many mountain gorillas left has a higher answer in 2030, you have to look at the people living next door to them.
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Conservation only works if the local communities see the gorillas as more valuable alive than dead. This is why "Gorilla Trekking" is so expensive (often $700 to $1,500 for a single hour). A chunk of that money goes directly to building schools and water tanks for the villages surrounding the parks.
If you're planning to visit, wait until you're 100% healthy. Even a slight cough should keep you out of the forest. Wear the mask the rangers give you. Keep the 7-meter (about 23 feet) distance. It feels far, but their immune systems will thank you.
Practical Steps for Your Next Move
- Check the GVTC Website: If you want the raw data from the 2025/2026 census as it's released, the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration is the official source.
- Support "Gorilla Doctors": These are the vets who actually go into the forest to cut snares off or treat respiratory infections in the wild.
- Choose Community-Owned Lodges: When booking a trek in Uganda or Rwanda, look for places like Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge or Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge that are owned by the local community. It ensures the tourism dollars stay where they're needed most.
The 2026 outlook is brighter than it has been in decades, but it's a fragile peace. These 1,100-ish individuals are the only ones we've got.