Mountain Gorillas are found within the montane forests of the Virunga Volcanoes of Central Africa. This region is divided by three countries and includes portions of three national parks: Mgahinga Gorilla in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes, in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Highly social, Mountain Gorillas live in relatively stable, cohesive groups held together by long-term bonds between adult males and females. Group life is generally quiet and peaceful. The gorillas spend much of their time feeding on the dense forest vegetation, and rest for many hours each day. Every evening, each gorilla builds a nest for sleeping out of leaves and branches.
These gorillas live in one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world. Their future depends on the conservation of this area; they do not survive in captivity. A census completed in 2003 has shown a 17% increase in population size since 1989 ("Mountain Gorilla Census" 2004), but the total number of mountain gorillas is still only 380. They are critically endangerd; habitat loss, poaching, disease and war are ongoing threats.