Gorillas live in the wild in tropical and subtropical areas of Africa. These incredible primates are the largest of all the ape species, known for peculiar behaviors like chest beating that is done to assert dominance and attract mates. You might be surprised to know that humans and gorillas share 98% of their DNA!
They aren’t arboreal like other primates, choosing to spend their time on the ground in groups rather than up in the trees. There are just two species of gorilla on the planet, Eastern gorillas and Western gorillas. That said, there are four, or debatably five, gorilla subspecies in Africa.
1. Rwanda
Rwanda is home to a population of now endangered mountain gorillas. These large gorillas live high up on bamboo covered slopes in the Virunga Mountains, that are ancient volcanic slopes that stretch across Rwanda’s shared border with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
They live at altitudes ranging between 8,000–13,000 feet and have thick fur to keep them warm in their cool, high-altitude habitat. These impressive gorillas can weigh up to a whopping 440 pounds and reach heights of 5.5 feet when they stand on their back legs.
Gorillas are social creatures, and the mountain gorillas found in Rwanda are no exception. They live in small families with up to 30 members that are led by a silverback male. Rwanda’s gorillas have brought a lot of tourism into the country. You can go deep into the mountains with a local guide and search for these majestic gorillas amongst the bamboo and rich vegetation.
2. Uganda
The Virunga Mountains along Uganda’s border with Rwanda and the Democratic of Congo are home to mountain gorillas. But, these aren’t the only gorillas in Uganda. Nearby, in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park there is a small population of gorillas, known as Bwindi gorillas.
Some scientists believe that this isolated population isn’t separate from the mountain gorillas close by, but there is increasing evidence to suggest that Bwindi gorillas are a separate subspecies of Eastern gorilla. Physically, they have smaller skulls and longer faces.
You can visit the mountain and Bwindi gorillas in Uganda on guided safaris for some $1500 dollars for a three-day tour. The best months of the year to go on your adventure to see these friendly primates is June through to December, when there is less rain. There are nearly 500 gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and over 600 in the Virunga Mountains
3. Central African Republic
The only gorillas found in the Central Africa Republic are western lowland gorillas. These gorillas are very rare, and now considered critically endangered by the IUCN. However, it is hard to estimate their population size as they live in remote and dense areas of rainforests, making it hard to locate and track them.
Western lowland gorillas are slightly smaller than other gorilla species and have slightly lighter fur. They live in groups of up to 30 gorillas and feed on bark, fruit, shoots, and roots.
One of the few places you can visit these rare gorillas is the Daznga-Shangha Protected Areas of the Central African Republic. It can take trackers up to three years to habituate a gorilla family to humans, and even now only small groups of up to three tourists can visit the gorillas at once, guided by a Ba’aka local. Seeing a western lowland gorilla is a once in a lifetime experience.
4. Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo is also home to a small population of western lowland gorillas. Their fur is a greyish-black and has patches of auburn, which makes them stand out amongst other gorillas that are usually entirely covered by black fur.
There are now just 125,000 of these once widespread gorillas left in the Republic of the Congo, found in the country’s more northern regions where there are remote, swampy rainforests. This part of the country is home to a number of hardly visited national parks that host a range of endangered species, like chimpanzees and mangabeys.
One of them, the Odzala-Kokoua National Park was once ridden with disease and conflict, causing the loss of up to 90% of the park’s western lowland gorilla population. But after extensive conservation work and aid, the park was reopened to tourists in 2012!
5. DR of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has suffered on-going political instability and conflict, greatly impacting the already critically endangered western lowland gorilla’s small population size. These gorillas stand at 4–6 feet tall and weigh up to 400 pounds.
Sadly, over 60% of the western lowland gorilla’s population has been lost across its range in the last 25 years due to the illegal pet trade, poaching, and Ebola. They live in the eastern parts of the DR of Congo in dense and tropical rainforests, but they are few and far between.
In cheerier news, a new member has joined the small family of gorillas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo! Born in January of 2022, this little chap has brought the number of this vulnerable population up to seven. Due to conflict, tourism isn’t frequent in the area.
6. Gabon
Gabon is home to a few families of western lowland gorillas that are spread across various national parks. These gorillas prefer swampy rainforests with rich vegetation and hot and humid weather all-year round.
Whilst there are a few spots inhabited by the rare western lowland gorilla across Gabon, only Loango National Park boasts a habituated family of gorillas. Habituated means that the gorillas have become accustomed to humans and don’t alter their behaviour in their presence.
The park’s gorillas are diligently monitored on a daily basis by researchers from the Max Planck Institute, who send out small groups of tourists, with as little as 3 people, on safari tours to visit the gorilla family. This small gorilla family is made up of 10 gorillas and led by a silverback male.
7. Cameroon
Cameroon is home to a small population of Cross River gorillas. They are a subspecies of the western gorilla and look a lot like western lowland gorillas. You can only tell the two subspecies apart because they have different skull and tooth dimensions.
Cross River gorillas are shy and wary of humans. They also live on rugged territory, which makes them hard to get to and almost impossible to monitor up close. It is estimated there are now just 200–300 Cross River gorillas left in the wild.
Because of their rarity and timid nature, they can’t be seen in the wild in Cameroon. However, you can see them in captivity in the Limbe Wildlife Center. Cameroon also has a population of western lowland gorillas that live in the Campo-Ma’an National Park, but only individuals authorized by the WWF, like researchers, can get the gorilla permit needed to visit them.
8. Angola
Angola is another country inhabited by the western lowland gorilla. Within the country, they live in a single spot, the Cabinda enclave, north of the mouth of the Congo River. There is very little tourist infrastructure in the region, so you’d have to go on a wild adventure if you wanted to see these gorillas!
Western lowland gorillas are quite rare, so you’d have a better chance of seeing these gorillas in the Central African Republic or the Republic of the Congo where there are more guided tours and easier access to amenities.
In January of 2021 Angola joined the Gorilla Agreement, stating that the country was committed to the conservation of the western lowland gorillas and their niche habitat. To help them stick to their commitment to this incredible primate, they are working with organizations like the Great Apes Survival Partnership to monitor and protect them.
9. Equatorial Guinea
The rare western lowland gorilla lives in the Monte Alen National Park in Central Rio Muni, the only protected national park in Equatorial Guinea, in the southern province of Mount Alen. They live in heavily forested areas on rough terrain at elevations above 4,000 feet.
It is estimated there are just 316,000 western lowland gorillas left in the wild, living in remote, hard to reach spots. In Equatorial Guinea’s Monte Alen National Park there are 16 primate species; the 3,800 western lowland gorillas are amongst them! The chances of spotting one are few and far between.
In recent years the park has started offering tourist safaris that take you into the dense forests to search for western lowland gorillas, but the area’s touristic infrastructure is at the start of its development, and it’s a hot and strenuous hike to reach the gorillas!
10. Nigeria
Nigeria is home to a small population of Cross River gorillas that are primarily found in the Cross River National Park. That said, they are also found in the Adi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary and the Mbe Mountains.
Across Nigeria, there are just 200 Cross River gorillas left, and you can’t get up close to them because they are shy and wary of humans. Because of this, their population size has to be predicted based on nest counts and estimated range sizes.
These elusive gorillas can weigh up to 440 pounds and are considered a critically endangered species by the IUCN. It’s important that we protect the lowland montane forests and rainforests in Nigeria that they call home.