Gorilla Families & Conservation
Mountain Gorilla Conservation, From Dian Fossey to Today
Mountain gorilla conservation is the reason a trek is possible at all — the story runs from Dian Fossey’s anti-poaching patrols in the 1960s to a population that has grown from fewer than 254 individuals to just over 1,000 today.
The Numbers
A Species Brought Back From the Edge
In the 1980s, an estimated 254 mountain gorillas remained in the wild. Sustained anti-poaching patrols, veterinary care and community conservation programs have since brought the population to just over 1,000 individuals — the only great ape subspecies with a confirmed increasing population. In December 2018, the IUCN reclassified mountain gorillas from Critically Endangered to Endangered, the first positive status change recorded for any great ape.
Legacy
Dian Fossey’s Legacy
Dian Fossey established the Karisoke Research Center in Rwanda’s Virunga volcanoes in 1967 and spent nearly two decades studying and protecting mountain gorillas, funding anti-poaching patrols through what became the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. That organization still runs daily ranger patrols and gorilla monitoring across Rwanda and the DRC today.
How Trekking Helps
Every Trek Funds Protection
How Trekking Funds Conservation
A share of every permit fee goes directly to park protection, ranger salaries, and community programs in the villages bordering the parks — tourism is one of the main funding sources for ongoing conservation work.
Meeting a Gorilla Family
Each habituated group has a name and a tracking history. Trackers spend every day with their assigned family, learning to identify each member by face and behavior long before tourists ever visit.
Responsible Trekking Rules
Visitors keep a minimum distance from the gorillas, wear masks near the group in some parks, and are asked to stay home if unwell — rules designed to protect gorillas from human disease transmission.
See a Gorilla Family for Yourself
Every trek booked through Gorilla Footprints supports the parks and communities protecting these gorillas.