Mountain Gorilla Conservation in Burundi (2026): The Facts

Quick answer: Mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) do not have a wild population in Burundi. Their remaining habitat is restricted to the Virunga Massif—shared by Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)—and Uganda’s Bwindi landscape. The subspecies is classified as Endangered, with the global wild population exceeding 1,000, but its recovery depends on intensive, continuing protection.

Last reviewed August 2026. Conservation data changes — see the cited sources for the latest figures.

Why mountain gorilla conservation matters in Burundi

Burundi is sometimes included in online searches about central and east African primate conservation because it lies within the wider Albertine Rift region. However, the country is not one of the three states that contain the mountain gorilla’s remaining wild range. The known range consists of the Virunga Massif—Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Virunga National Park in the DRC and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda—and the separate Bwindi Impenetrable National Park ecosystem in Uganda, which connects with Sarambwe Nature Reserve in the DRC.

This distinction matters for travellers and conservation donors. A Burundi wildlife safari can support the country’s own protected areas and communities, but it is not a mountain-gorilla trekking destination. Travellers seeking a legal wild mountain-gorilla encounter must look to the recognised sites in Rwanda, Uganda or the DRC, subject to current park access and security conditions.

Burundi’s relevance is therefore regional and institutional rather than species-specific. Conservation in the Albertine Rift increasingly requires coordination across borders because forests, wildlife pressures, migration routes, security risks and local economies do not follow national boundaries. The International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP), formed in 1991, works across the Virunga–Bwindi landscape with protected-area authorities, including the Rwanda Development Board, Uganda Wildlife Authority and the DRC’s Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature.

For Burundi, the more accurate conservation conversation concerns protecting its own forests and wildlife, strengthening community participation and supporting law enforcement capacity. SafariFind’s overview of Burundi’s national parks and conservation threats provides that broader context. Mountain-gorilla conservation should not be presented as a programme operating inside Burundi when the research identifies no resident wild population or gorilla park there.

Mountain gorilla status and population recovery

Mountain gorillas were close to extinction in the 1970s and 1980s. A long-term study records that the Virunga population fell from 275 animals in 1971 to 254 during the following decade, with habitat destruction and poaching among the causes. The wider conservation effort intensified through research, daily monitoring, anti-poaching work, habitat protection and carefully managed tourism.

The population later recovered to more than 1,000 animals by 2018, and conservation authorities reclassified the subspecies from Critically Endangered to Endangered. WWF reports that the Virunga Massif population reached 604 individuals, compared with 480 in 2010, while the total wild population across the Virunga and Bwindi areas exceeded 1,000.

Indicator	What the research shows
Scientific name	Gorilla beringei beringei
Current IUCN category	Endangered
Virunga population in 1971	275 individuals
Virunga population in the following decade	254 individuals
Virunga Massif population reported by WWF	604 individuals, up from 480 in 2010
Global wild population	More than 1,000 individuals by 2018-era assessments

These figures describe a genuine conservation achievement, not a recovery to safety. Mountain gorillas occupy a very small range, remain dependent on intensive management and face threats that can spread rapidly through a concentrated population. The 2026 Green Status material cited in the research describes them as “Largely Depleted” and conservation-dependent, meaning that protection must continue for the gains to endure.

The main threats facing mountain gorillas

Poaching, snares and illegal capture

Mountain gorillas are not generally targeted as bushmeat in the same way as some other wildlife, but they can be injured or killed by wire snares set for antelope and other animals. Infants may also be abducted for illegal sale, a crime that can result in the deaths of adult gorillas defending the group.

Ranger teams therefore search for snares, record signs of illegal activity and monitor gorilla groups closely. This is one reason that mountain-gorilla protection is labour-intensive: preventing harm involves daily field presence, not only occasional enforcement operations.

Habitat loss and pressure on space

Mountain gorillas have only a small amount of remaining habitat in the Virunga and Bwindi landscapes. Agricultural expansion, settlement, logging, slash-and-burn farming and illicit charcoal production place pressure on forest boundaries. Virunga National Park identifies encroachment, charcoal production and farming as important causes of habitat loss, while conflict-driven displacement can create additional pressure on protected forests.

Limited space creates a difficult conservation trade-off. Long-term research suggests that conservation should prioritise survival and protection, while also warning that habitat monitoring remains essential as ecological conditions change. Population growth is welcome, but more gorillas in a confined landscape can increase the importance of habitat quality, disease prevention and careful management of park boundaries.

Conflict and insecurity

The mountain-gorilla range lies in a region affected by armed conflict and political instability. Conservation work has continued through periods of war and the 1994 Rwandan genocide, but this progress has come at a substantial human and financial cost.

Insecurity can disrupt censuses, restrict ranger access, damage institutions and drive people toward natural resources for fuel, shelter or income. Research on IGCP activities also finds that transboundary conservation can influence peace and cooperation by improving communication among authorities, although conservation interventions must be designed carefully so they do not deepen local conflict.

Disease and tourism-related health risks

Mountain gorillas are vulnerable to human respiratory infections and other diseases because they share close biological relationships with people. The research identifies Ebola as a serious threat to great apes and notes that tourism and research must be managed to reduce disease transmission.

Tourism can bring important conservation income, but human contact also creates stress and health risks. Guidance discussed in the research includes hygiene stations, staff health screening, limiting staff movement between affected areas and questioning tourists during disease outbreaks. Responsible tourism must therefore be treated as a conservation tool with strict limits, not as unrestricted access to wildlife.

Climate and ecological change

The supplied research does not provide a quantified climate-impact figure for mountain gorillas, so claims about a specific percentage loss or temperature effect would be unsupported. The defensible conclusion is that continued habitat monitoring is necessary because changing ecological conditions can alter food availability, forest health and the resilience of an already restricted population.

What is being done to protect mountain gorillas?

Ranger protection and daily monitoring

More than 1,000 park rangers have contributed to mountain-gorilla protection across the three range countries over approximately four decades, including during periods of severe regional violence. Their work includes patrols, snare removal, tracking, nest checks, faecal examination and observation of individual gorillas.

Monitoring is unusually detailed. Researchers identify individuals, follow family groups and collect demographic and health information over time. The first Virunga Massif census took place in 2003, and IGCP and partners later supported surveys in the Virunga and Bwindi landscapes. Long-term records allow conservationists to identify changes in survival, reproduction, group composition and threats rather than relying on occasional sightings.

Cross-border conservation partnerships

IGCP is a coalition involving Conservation International, Fauna & Flora International and WWF, working with national and local partners. Its objectives include reducing threats to gorillas and their habitat, improving collaboration among protected-area authorities, promoting responsible tourism and empowering communities living beside parks.

This regional approach is essential because the Virunga landscape crosses international borders. Rwanda, Uganda and the DRC have different laws, institutions, tourism systems and security conditions, yet the same gorilla population and forest ecosystem require coordinated management.

Tourism management and community benefits

Controlled gorilla tourism has generated revenue for conservation, park operations and local economies. The research reports that tourism income-sharing and community engagement have helped build social and political support for the species, while IGCP identifies tourism revenue-sharing among park-adjacent communities as one area of regional collaboration.

Tourism also creates employment for guides, trackers, porters and park staff. These benefits can connect household income with the continued survival of gorillas, although conservation organisations must ensure that revenue is distributed fairly and that communities have a meaningful role in decisions.

Burundi’s community-based conservation discussion is relevant here even though it does not concern a resident mountain-gorilla population. SafariFind’s article on community conservancies in Burundi explains why local participation and livelihood benefits matter across the country’s wider conservation system.

Results and setbacks: a balanced assessment

The strongest result is the mountain gorilla’s population recovery from the low numbers recorded in the 1970s and 1980s to more than 1,000 by 2018. The Virunga population also increased from 480 in 2010 to 604 in the WWF summary. The IUCN status change from Critically Endangered to Endangered reflects that progress.

However, the species remains Endangered and conservation-dependent. Its entire wild population is concentrated in two isolated areas, and the subspecies has not returned across its historical range. Habitat pressure, snares, disease, insecurity and the costs of maintaining intensive protection remain unresolved.

Conservation has also involved serious risks to people. Park rangers and other field staff have worked in dangerous conditions, and conservation measures can create tensions when access to land or natural resources is restricted without adequate participation or benefit-sharing. The conflict-sensitivity research on IGCP shows why conservation outcomes must be judged not only by animal numbers but also by their effects on surrounding communities and regional cooperation.

How travellers can help responsibly

• Choose the correct destination. Do not book a “Burundi mountain-gorilla trek.” The research identifies no wild mountain-gorilla population or trekking site in Burundi.
• Use authorised operators and park systems. Legal permits, trained trackers and official visitor rules help fund structured conservation and reduce unmanaged contact.
• Follow health rules exactly. Do not trek when ill, respect distance and hygiene requirements, and accept that authorities may restrict visits during disease outbreaks.
• Support local employment. Using community-based accommodation, local guides and porters can help retain tourism value near protected areas, provided the businesses operate legally and fairly.
• Ask where tourism revenue goes. Transparent revenue-sharing and community investment are important parts of durable conservation support.
• Support habitat and anti-poaching work. Donations to established conservation organisations can help fund monitoring, ranger equipment, research and community programmes. IGCP’s work is one example of a long-term transboundary model.

Travellers can book conservation-supporting safaris on SafariFind, but the destination description should always be checked carefully: Burundi offers its own wildlife and forest experiences, while mountain-gorilla trekking belongs to the Virunga–Bwindi range countries. For wider context on enforcement, read SafariFind’s guide to anti-poaching and wildlife crime in Burundi.

Conclusion

Mountain gorilla conservation in Burundi is best understood as a question of accuracy and regional responsibility. Burundi does not contain wild mountain gorillas, but it sits within a broader conservation region where forest protection, community participation, security and cross-border cooperation all matter. The mountain gorilla’s recovery proves that sustained protection can work; its Endangered status and dependence on continuous management show why the achievement remains fragile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there mountain gorillas in Burundi?

No. The research identifies mountain gorillas only in the Virunga Massif across Rwanda, Uganda and the DRC, and in Uganda’s Bwindi landscape connected to Sarambwe Nature Reserve in the DRC. Burundi has no identified wild mountain-gorilla population or gorilla-trekking site.

Where can I see mountain gorillas in the wild?

Wild mountain gorillas live in the Virunga Massif—Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and the DRC’s Virunga National Park—and in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park ecosystem.

What is the conservation status of the mountain gorilla in 2026?

The mountain gorilla is classified as Endangered. It was downlisted from Critically Endangered in 2018 after its population increased, but it remains conservation-dependent.

How many mountain gorillas are left?

The global wild population exceeded 1,000 in the 2018-era assessments cited in the research. WWF reports 604 mountain gorillas in the Virunga Massif, up from 480 in 2010.

What are the main threats to mountain gorillas?

The main threats are habitat loss, agricultural and settlement pressure, charcoal production, snares, illegal capture, armed conflict and disease transmission from humans.

Does gorilla trekking help conservation?

Yes, carefully controlled trekking can generate revenue for conservation, park operations and local economies, and can support jobs and community benefit-sharing. Tourism must still follow strict health, distance and visitor-management rules.

Why are snares dangerous to mountain gorillas?

Snares set for other wildlife can trap, injure or kill mountain gorillas. Rangers therefore search for traps and monitor gorilla groups as part of daily protection work.

Can I book a mountain-gorilla safari in Burundi?

No. Burundi is not a mountain-gorilla trekking destination. A legal mountain-gorilla safari must be arranged in an authorised site within Rwanda, Uganda or the DRC, subject to current access and security conditions.

What organisations protect mountain gorillas?

The International Gorilla Conservation Programme works with Conservation International, Fauna & Flora International, WWF and national authorities including the Rwanda Development Board, Uganda Wildlife Authority and the DRC’s Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature.

How can travellers support mountain-gorilla conservation?

Travellers can use authorised operators, follow health rules, employ local services, choose accommodation that supports nearby communities, ask about revenue-sharing and donate to established conservation organisations.