Mountain gorillas 'no longer critically endangered'

Mountain gorillas are no longer “critically endangered”, according to the new extinction Red List. However, the primates, who live in border area between the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda, still remain “endangered”.

When the list was last put together by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2008, the mountain gorilla population was estimated to be around 680.

IUCN says over the last decade estimates show that the population has increased to more than 1,000,the highest figure ever recorded.

This is thanks to conservation measures, including anti-poaching and veterinary patrols, and “positive engagement from communities” living around their protected habitat covering approximately 792 sq km (305 sq miles).

The gorillas still face threats from poaching, recurring civil unrest and diseases passed on by humans, including Ebola.