Good News: Thanks To A Successful Conservation Effort, Mountain Gorillas Are No Longer 'Critically Endangered'

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Mountain gorilla numbers are on the up, thanks to a successful conservation campaign aiming to bring them back from the very edge of extinction.

As the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said, they are now updating the status of these animals from “Critically Endangered” to “Endangered.” That was after the number of the mountain gorillas in the wild was raised to over 1,000.

However, the IUCN pointed out that mountain gorillas are still endangered, while the conservation programs need to continue to make sure they survived.

Dr. Liz Williamson, from the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group, stated that factors such as “limiting numbers of tourists and preventing any close contact with humans” were vital to ensuring their future.

The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is one of two subspecies of the eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringei). In 2008, because of activities such as poaching, their numbers were estimated to have dropped to just 680.

The rise to 1,000 represents the highest number of this subspecies ever recorded. Conservation efforts include having vets help out the animals, for example by removing snares, and also running anti-poaching patrols.

Mountain gorillas are discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. But these areas are favorite spots for poaching and agriculture and have a growing human population. Other threats include human-introduced diseases like Ebola.

This was not the only positive animal news to come out of the IUCN Red List. The fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), as they also noted, had been upgraded from “Endangered” to “Vulnerable,” as its population around the globe has doubled to 100,000 since the 1970s.

The gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) had been upgraded from “Critically Endangered” to “Endangered” as well with both whales being historically hunted for their blubber, oil, and meat.

Many animals remain under significant threat, though. According to the IUCN, there are now 96,951 species on the Red List, 26,840 of which are threatened with extinction.