The birth of a mountain gorilla is always a very special event.
The members of the gorilla family greeting the new arrival are no doubt delighted, as are any human travellers lucky enough to be with them just after the birth. The mother gorilla, tenderly cradling her shaky and barely cognizant infant, hiding it away from intrusive eyes, is a sight afforded to a privileged few, and one to be treasured for a lifetime. She will tend to this infant for the next 3-4 years, keeping it close, breastfeeding it and carrying it everywhere with her.
The news of the arrival of a new member of the species is of global significance when one realises that there are currently just over 1,000 individuals in existence, about the average size of a secondary school in the UK. The entire population is wild. Unlike their lowland cousins, mountain gorillas don’t fare well in captivity, and none has ever been born or raised in a zoo or orphanage. Mountain gorillas are, naturally, still listed as “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List.
It may not seem like it, but for mountain gorillas, this is a success story. Their low point was 1981, when there were approximately 250 individuals alive, distributed between Bwindi Forest in Uganda, and the Virunga Volcanoes that straddle Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Since then, the population has grown slowly, but steadily, every year. Happily, statistics have shown that gorilla families that are regularly visited by tourists have the highest birth rates. This is largely because these gorillas are more closely monitored for illnesses and injuries and receive veterinary care and therefore are generally in better health.
Over and above this gradual increase, however, there has been a significant recent spurt in the numbers of baby gorillas being born. Statistics from Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, show that, from a 2018 population of 459 mountain gorillas, 19 new babies arrived in 2019, and a record of 21 in 2020. Altogether, since 2019, a total of 103 gorillas were born in Bwindi. The reason for this mini explosion in gorilla births is not entirely clear, but it is surely a testament to the paradigm shift in the conservation of mountain gorillas and their habitats.
The world’s latest mountain gorilla was born just a few days ago, on the 19th of January 2025, in the Rushegura sector of eastern Bwindi. The little one’s family is led by Mucunguzi, the impressive silverback who provides structure, safety and stability. Mother and baby are doing well, and this brings the number of gorillas in Mucunguzi’s family to 16.
We should greet this birth with considerable fanfare. If current trends continue, the baby boom can only be good news for the greatest of Great Apes.
This blog is brought to you courtesy of our partners in Uganda.
