Mountain gorillas are endangered, with a population of only 1,063, according to the World Wildlife Fund. The four major threats to mountain gorillas include: 1) habitat loss (due to agriculture and charcoal making), 2) exposure to human diseases, 3) poaching (indirectly, because they can get caught in snares, or traps, set for other animals) and 4) war (first in Rwanda during the 1990s, and then in the DRC during the civil unrest that continues to this day). The population, however, has been steadily increasing thanks to conservation efforts in the region. One of the most famous primatologists and conservationists who advocated for studying and protecting mountain gorillas was an American, Dian Fossey, starting in the 1960s. Today, the Dian Fossey Fund continues to educate the public on the importance of studying and protecting mountain gorillas. Fossey's memoir, Gorillas in the Mist, is a great resource if you want to learn more.
