Recent census of the Mountain gorillas between the two remaining areas of habitat counted 1063, a number that has risen from perhaps only 350 in the 1980s. The idea of a critically endangered growing by 300% in population size in only 40 years is incredible.
Furthermore, as they cross the 1000 barrier, they cease to be critically endangered, and simply become endangered.
So why should we still worry? Well, in the short term, the corvid 19 or coronavirus outbreak has eliminated tourism and the money that comes with it to support the conservation effort. There is much concern, that out of desperation some of those people who make money from gorilla tourism, might return to poaching.
Also of great concern, mountain gorillas are anatomically almost identical to humans, but unfortunately this means they are often able to succumb to illnesses in the human population. This means that if coronavirus got into the gorilla population, it could wipe out the progress of the last 40 years. Tourists are generally kept at a distance, too avoid risking contagion, if poaching resumes in the absence of tourists these am rules are unlikely to be adhered to.
