Today is World Gorilla Day
The lush forests of equatorial Africa, once a riot of life teeming with an unimaginable richness of plants and creatures, are yielding to a more ordered world—trees and crops planted in straight lines, forest sounds replaced by the hum of chainsaws and motorbikes, the rich, earthy scent of understory vegetation erased by the odor of cigarettes and diesel, and wild diversity overtaken by domesticated livestock. Among the casualties of this transformation is the world’s largest primate: the gorilla.
Both eastern and western species, which once thrived across vast stretches of the continent, now cling to survival in fragmented pockets, their numbers dwindling as humanity encroaches further into their home. Poaching, driven by a mix of survival needs and the lure of profit, has devastated these magnificent apes, reducing them to commodities in the struggle for livelihood. In a single park—Virunga in DRC—more than 220 rangers have paid the ultimate price, their lives cut short in defense of a future for gorillas.
It is a tragic reminder of what we stand to lose.
Yet, amid this heartache, there is hope. The mountain gorilla, once on the brink of extinction, has made an astonishing recovery. Through decades of relentless conservation efforts, their numbers have risen from just a few hundred individuals in the 1980s to over 1,000 today. Governments, local communities, and international organizations have worked hand in hand, proving that with determination and resources, even the most dire situations can be turned around.
This success story is not limited to mountain gorillas—it is an example of what is possible for all gorillas. Granted, the challenges for lowland gorillas are far greater, but the same hard work, collaboration, and commitment that turned the tide for one species could also secure a future for others.
The path ahead is steep, but not insurmountable. We still have time to act.
The story of the mountain gorilla shows us that extinction is not inevitable. With collective action, another future is possible—one where these remarkable creatures not only survive but reclaim their ancestral domain in the forests.
