It was once believed that mountain gorillas would be extinct by the end of the 20th century

At just under 900, the current population size is low, but conservationists are working to ensure that mountain gorillas don’t fall prey to human threats.

According to the African Wildlife Foundation, the greatest threats to mountain gorillas – an eastern gorilla subspecies – are political instability (mainly conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo), human encroachment, and forest degradation.

The remaining mountain gorilla population is spread out over three countries and four national parks, such as Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda, and Virunga National Park in DRC.