Mountain gorillas thriving – but a new threat is looming

Although numbers are up, plans for oil exploitation could seriously affect them

Mountain gorillas could be in for a boost this month: a census is set to reveal how many are left in the Virunga massif - an area that spans Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Only 380 mountain gorillas appeared to be left in the Virunga Massif according to a survey from 2003, but conservation efforts are taking effect - their population was estimated at 480 after a census in 2010. A second population of around 400 mountain gorillas live in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable national park.