World Gorilla Day 2026

On this day we celebrate mountain gorillas!

To coincide with World Gorilla Day, we’d like to invite you to get to know more about these amazing apes.

Meet the mountain gorillas

Most mountain gorillas live in family groups, also known as troops. Typically, there will be around 10 members in a group – with a dominant male (silverback), mature females, blackbacks (young males) and infants. Some groups may have as many as 40 individuals.

The International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) – a coalition of WWF, Fauna & Flora, and Conservation International – works with local governments and communities to improve protected area management and the coexistence of people and wildlife in the Greater Virunga Landscape where mountain gorillas live.

Part of this work involves supporting rangers to conduct daily patrols within protected areas. During these patrols, rangers monitor the gorilla populations, remove snares, and check for other signs of habitat disturbance. They also play a critical role in assessing the health of gorillas in habituated groups.

Through their ongoing monitoring, rangers have become familiar with the different individuals and family dynamics of habituated gorilla groups. Habituated means the gorillas are accustomed to the presence of humans; it’s a long-term, intensive process that takes several years to complete and has played an important role in supporting mountain gorilla conservation.

Introducing: some of the gorilla families of Volcanoes National Park

© Andrew Rugema-IGCP

Igisha: Silverback Igisha is the leader of this group - now smaller in size after several of its members departed with Igisha’s former second-in-command, silverback Humura. Group fluctuations are a natural part of mountain gorilla behaviour. Rangers report the two groups now live in surprising harmony:

“During feeding time, the groups often come together to share a delicious meal and part ways again later in the evening to their respective groups. It is amazing how the silverbacks don’t even charge at each other,” says Ranger Theoneste Bigirimana.
© Andrew Rugema / IGCP

Muturengere: Isimbi group is led by silverback Muturengere (who's known for his ability to dismantle rope snares). Isimbi recently gained a new member: a baby, born to adult female Ingemwe.
© IGCP

Matsiko: Originally established as Noheli group (after the former dominant silverback and group founder), this group was recently taken over by silverback Matsiko. Matisko was a former member of Igisha group. He departed to live as a solitary male for a few months, before claiming this new group.

Matsiko has earned something of a reputation among rangers for being very bold: “Silverback Matsiko defeated Noheli in an intense interaction and took over the group… Matsiko fearlessly attacks any group, any day, in pursuit of females."

Census field teams walking through Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in search of gorilla signs.

Forest findings: Latest from the great gorilla count

Would you accept the challenge of surveying an entire forest – on foot – searching for signs of mountain gorillas? On 21 April, teams entered in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park to do just that.

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