Updated
Research underpins mountain gorilla conservation. Long-term studies of habituated families show how gorillas live, breed and die; censuses using nest counts and DNA from dung track the population; health monitoring detects disease and snare injuries early; and social research looks at how communities and tourism affect the parks. In Uganda, much of this work is done by the Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation at Ruhija, with the Uganda Wildlife Authority and partner organisations.
Behaviour and ecology
Research on mountain gorillas began with George Schaller in the late 1950s and Dian Fossey’s Karisoke Research Center in Rwanda from 1967, which still runs today. In Bwindi, long-term studies since the 1990s have compared its gorillas with those in the Virungas, showing that Bwindi gorillas eat more fruit, travel further and use larger ranges. Such findings guide decisions on habituation, tourism limits and habitat protection. See our guide to gorilla home ranges.
Counting gorillas
Regular censuses sweep the parks systematically, recording night nests and collecting dung, from which DNA identifies individuals and avoids double-counting. The most recent censuses put the total population at just over 1,000. Camera traps and ranger-based monitoring, using phones or GPS units to record sightings and threats, add data between censuses. See our guide to how scientists identify gorillas.
Health and people
Vets and researchers study which diseases pass between people and gorillas, test samples from habituated groups, and evaluate the effect of rules such as masks and the seven-metre distance. Social scientists study how revenue sharing, tourism jobs and crop raiding shape attitudes to the parks, which helps design better community programmes. See our guides to Gorilla Doctors and conservation organisations.
Research and visitors
Some gorilla families are kept for research only and are not visited by tourists, and visitors may meet researchers or trackers collecting data in the forest. The Gorilla Habituation Experience in Rushaga gives a glimpse of this work. The gorilla permit costs US$800, or US$600 in April, May and November.
Frequently asked questions
The Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation at Ruhija, with UWA and partners.
By censuses of nests and DNA from dung, plus ranger monitoring.
George Schaller in the late 1950s, then Dian Fossey from 1967.
Yes, some habituated groups are not open to tourists.
