Their numbers are on the rise.
Some good news on this Wednesday; the mountain gorilla has been officially declared as no longer being critically endangered.
World Wildlife Fund UK has reported that thanks to conservation efforts, numbers are now believed to be on the rise and currently exceed 1,000.
“The main threat to gorillas is people and the associated increasing pressure on the gorilla’s habitat,” notes the official WWF website.
Mountain gorillas reside in high-altitude forests, subsisting mostly on a diet of leaves and shoots.
They are found in just two isolated groups, one in the Virunga volcanoes that span the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The other group is located in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda in accordance with DRC’s Sarambwe Nature Reserve.
As for why the continued survival of the mountain gorilla is important, the natural balance in the food chain would be disrupted without their presence.
“This could negatively affect other wildlife in the area, and ultimately the people who depend on that environment for food, water and other resources,” say the WWF.
They also note that there is still a long way to go with regards to the future of the mountain gorilla, but this latest development represents “a huge leap” in the right direction.
And now, in celebration of this joyous news, here’s Bruno Mars with 2012 pop smash and all-round decent tune ‘Gorilla’.
Clip via Bruno Mars
Featured image via World Wildlife Fund
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