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Census of the mountain gorilla Gorilla beringei beringei population in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 January 2007

Alastair McNeilage ,
Martha M. Robbins ,
Maryke Gray ,
William Olupot ,
Dennis Babaasa ,
Robert Bitariho ,
Aventino Kasangaki ,
Helga Rainer ,
Steven Asuma  and
Ghad Mugiri
...Show all authors
Alastair McNeilage
Affiliation:
Also at: Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, USA Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, PO Box 44, Kabale, Uganda
Martha M. Robbins
Affiliation:
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
Maryke Gray
Affiliation:
International Gorilla Conservation Programme, Kampala, Uganda
William Olupot
Affiliation:
Also at: Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, USA Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, PO Box 44, Kabale, Uganda
Dennis Babaasa
Affiliation:
Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, PO Box 44, Kabale, Uganda
Robert Bitariho
Affiliation:
Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, PO Box 44, Kabale, Uganda
Aventino Kasangaki
Affiliation:
Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, PO Box 44, Kabale, Uganda
Helga Rainer
Affiliation:
International Gorilla Conservation Programme, Kampala, Uganda
Steven Asuma
Affiliation:
International Gorilla Conservation Programme, Kampala, Uganda
Ghad Mugiri
Affiliation:
Uganda Wildlife Authority, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Uganda
Julia Baker
Affiliation:
Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, UK
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Abstract

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Mountain gorillas Gorilla beringei beringei are Critically Endangered, with just two small populations: in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in south-western Uganda and the nearby Virunga Volcanoes on the borders with Rwanda and Uganda. A survey of the Bwindi population was carried out in 2002 and results were compared with the previous census in 1997. Our estimate of total population size increased over that period by c. 7% to 320 individuals and the structure and distribution of the population were largely unchanged. Signs of human disturbance were more common in 2002 than 1997, and gorillas tended to be found in areas of relative low disturbance. This suggested that disturbance could be a constraint on population growth and distribution but demographic stochasticity may also be responsible for the observed level of population change over a short time period. Other potential limiting factors, including habitat availability and disease, are discussed. While conservation activities in Bwindi have probably contributed to the stability of the population, strengthening of law enforcement and continued vigilance are needed to ensure the population's long-term growth and survival.

Keywords

Bwindi Impenetrable National ParkGorilla beringei beringeihuman disturbancemountain gorillapopulation censusUganda
Type
Articles
Information
Oryx , Volume 40 , Issue 4 , October 2006 , pp. 419 - 427
Copyright
2006 Fauna & Flora International