A recent census of mountain gorillas in the Virunga national parks, has indicated that population numbers are on the increase.
The three Virunga national parks in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo cover 450 square kilometres of potential gorilla habitat. The recent studies suggest that the population is growing at a rate of 3.7% each year, which is fantastic news for the (truly) great apes! It even comes close to deserving the Guardian's optimistic headline: Mountain Gorilla Numbers Soar. To some this may seem like a slight exaggeration, at an increase of 100 individuals since 2003, but it's not bad going for an animal with such slow reproductive habits, subject to disease outbreaks with disastrous consequences and living in such a fragile habitat.
The favoured explanation for the increase seems to be improvements in protecting the gorillas from disease outbreaks, for example by reducing contact time with humans, and by cracking down on poaching for trade in body parts.
This happy news comes just in time for Christmas, but it's important not to get complacent; there's a long way to go for the mountain gorilla.
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