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Gorillas in the conflict zone of eastern DR Congo
Virunga National Park and the forests around Kahuzi-Biega lie in areas contested by M23 and other armed groups, and an Ebola epidemic added to the risk in 2026.
Open on the interactive globeAfter M23 captured Goma in January 2025, some gorilla families were left without ranger protection, and organisations report increased poaching in North and South Kivu. In 2026 the park set up health checkpoints in response to an Ebola epidemic that WHO declared a public health emergency in May 2026; the park director said four staff members were killed within two weeks. A 2016 study estimated that Grauer's gorilla lost about 77 percent of its population within one generation.
Species
| Species | IUCN status | Population | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gorilla beringei beringei Gorilla beringei beringei | endangered (IUCN EN) | (2026) | kbia.org |
| Gorilla beringei graueri Gorilla beringei graueri | critically endangered (IUCN CR) | (2016) | journals.plos.org |
Needs
- anti-poaching
- veterinary care
- habitat
- health
Who is helping
Organisations that, according to their own publications, work on this event (3). Donations go directly to each organisation's own website - GLOBURNS does not handle payments.
- Gorilla Doctors (Gorilla Doctors)Gorilla Doctors is the only organisation providing veterinary care to wild eastern gorillas, in five national parks in Rwanda, Uganda and the DRC. In 2026 it installs…Donate on the organisation's website (gorilladoctors.org)
- Jane Goodall Institute (JGI)The Jane Goodall Institute protects chimpanzees and other great apes and their habitats together with local communities. It runs the Tchimpounga Chimpanzee…Donate on the organisation's website (give.janegoodall.org)
- Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)WCS protects wildlife and wild places through field programmes worldwide and zoos in New York. In the DRC it supports Kahuzi-Biega National Park, the Okapi Wildlife…Donate on the organisation's website (secure.wcs.org)
Sources
- gorillas.org gorillas.org/conflict-in-eastern-drc/
- aljazeera.com aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/2/how-virunga-park-protects-people-and-gorillas-from-ebola-in-e…
- kbia.org kbia.org/2026-06-06/a-park-famed-for-rare-gorillas-gears-up-to-fight-ebola-and-protect-it…
- news.mongabay.com news.mongabay.com/2025/04/poaching-intensifies-in-m23-occupied-areas-of-virunga-national…
- iucnredlist.org iucnredlist.org/species/39999/17989719
- worldwildlife.org worldwildlife.org/species/eastern-lowland-gorilla
Seed record, before editorial verification. Every number links to its source; report errors on the Corrections page. Methodology · Corrections
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