Grauer’s gorilla

Grauer’s gorilla, also known as the eastern lowland gorilla, is found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Today, this subspecies is confined to the primary tropical forest of eastern DRC – most notably in Kahuzi-Biega and Maiko National Parks, but a substantial portion of its habitat falls outside these areas in the vast, yet legally unprotected forest that separates them.

A 2016 report by Fauna & Flora International (FFI), the Wildlife Conservation Society and other partners documented an alarming drop in Grauer’s gorilla numbers, from an estimated 17,000 in 1995 to just 3,800 individuals. A recent follow-up study has led to this estimate being revised upwards to 6,800, but this is still less than half the number recorded a quarter of a century earlier. The subspecies is now listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

• A highly sociable animal, Grauer’s gorilla lives in family groups – typically comprising between two and 30 individuals
• They are predominantly herbivorous and eat mainly plant matter (including fruit and bamboo), but will also eat insects
• Grauer’s gorillas are, on average, the largest of all gorilla subspecies
• Males can weigh up to 250 kilos and reach two metres tall when standing
• Anecdotal observations suggest that – unlike other gorilla subspecies – if a group feels threatened, the whole family will stand its ground instead of fleeing

The severe decline in Grauer’s gorillas has been driven primarily by hunting (due to high demand for bushmeat from a growing human population that has few alternative, affordable proteins), the destabilising impact of armed groups, and habitat loss due to agricultural conversion, logging and artisanal mining.

The permanent presence of people employed by extractive industries in the forest has also aggravated many of these threats in recent years.

Since 2012, Fauna & Flora International (FFI) has worked with local communities and authorities to conserve Grauer’s gorillas and their habitat in community forest areas outside the national parks.

Today, FFI is supporting three community reserves that are home to Grauer’s gorilla, where we are helping to build local capacity, as well as training and equipping community rangers.

We have also been helping the reserves to conduct monthly bio-monitoring patrols that record the presence of gorilla groups and other threatened species such as chimpanzee, okapi and Congo peafowl. While monitoring, rangers also remove snares that can endanger the lives of these rare gorillas.