August 13, 2026 Hope for the eastern gorilla — and proof that conservation can lead to recovery Photo: GRACE Gorillas Did you know that the International Union for Conservation of Nature recently released the most comprehensive evaluation ever of the eastern gorilla’s population status — including its distribution, ecology, and long-term prospects? The new evaluation, known as the Green Status Assessment, reveals that there’s hope for the species. Two separate analyses were done — one for the Grauer’s gorilla, and one for the mountain gorilla — and the findings highlight an interesting dichotomy that had not been expected. The evaluation revealed that the Grauer’s gorilla has experienced substantial population declines over the past two decades, across much of its range. But the mountain gorilla, over that same time, experienced an interesting population increase — from 620 individuals to more than 1,000. This increase demonstrates that sustained, long-term conservation initiatives can lead to recovery, even for animals that were once at risk of extinction. “The value of the Green Status is that it enables us to monitor progress, not just document decline,” said Dr. Lilian Pintea, the Vice President of Conservation Science for the Jane Goodall Institute, who led the Institute’s contributions and collaborative mapping support. “By dividing the eastern gorilla’s historical range into distinct spatial units and assigning standardized recovery scores, we turn data and expert knowledge into a baseline we can revisit, showing conservation practitioners, communities, governments, and donors where conservation is working and where it needs to be strengthened,” Dr. Pintea added. “The assessment highlights the severity of the Grauer’s recent decline,” said Dr. Marc Fourrier, the Director of Great Ape Conservation for the Jane Goodall Institute. “It also shows the realistic and positive potential for the improvement of their conservation though greater community protected areas.” The professionals that contributed to the assessment agree that this provides an evidence-based roadmap for species conservation — one that communities, governments, and conservation partners can use for sustained, long-term protection. This is in line with Tacare, the community-led conservation approach we take here at the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada. Tacare begins by listening to communities, understanding local priorities, and supporting solutions that are then identified by community members themselves. “Gorillas are keystone species — thus, their roles in the environment are vitally important to the ecologies of numerous other species,” said Dr. Fourrier. “When we conserve the presence of gorillas in the environment, we are ensuring the sustained integrity of the entire ecosystem in which they inhabit.” To all of the individuals who contributed to this assessment — including the Jane Goodall Institute’s own Dr. Lilian Pintea, Everlyne Lelei, Dr. Marc Fournier, and Emola Pippen-Hashim Makambo — thank you for your hard work. You can read more about the recently-released eastern gorilla assessment here. Explore Related Content Dr. Jane, News and Updates Jane Goodall Day: How you can celebrate by taking action August 13, 2026 Read more From The Field Village Forest Monitors: What do they do, and why does this work matter? August 13, 2026 Read more Dr. Jane, Learn About Chimpanzees & Other Great Apes Chimpanzee cultures — and the knowledge that gets passed through generations August 13, 2026 Read more
